Tomorrow Will Be Another Day
by noblecrescent
Summary: The legend of the mysterious, powerful hybrid starts to resurface among the galaxies and it seems like this time it will awaken. But the mystery lays in where the creature is...and who will give it up. Between secrets and the terrible truth, there will be sacrifices made with everlasting consequences. {7th in the Monsoon Seasons}
1. The Runaway Doctor

**Author's Note:** _Welcome to the seventh installment of my OC - Minerva's - story with the 12th Doctor. This story will cover the entire 9th season of Doctor Who, of course with my rewrites. Fair warning I do disregard some show details to make it work for my story! As always, I recommend to any new readers that you go back and read the previous six stories in order to learn and understand who Minerva is, and for that matter a minor OC (Liv). You don't have to if you don't want to, but it is suggested! All stories remain on my story list beginning with Next Stop Everywhere._

 _My main OC - Minerva - will look like the actress Calista Flockhart with short, curly blonde hair and blue eyes. Minerva is __is currently on her 4th incarnation and is American._

 _The minor OC - Liv - will look like the actress Kimberly Dos Ramos._

* * *

"He's chewing gum, Clara!"

Clara turned around from her desk and spotted her closest friend, Liv, who was only visible to Clara, standing right beside one of Clara's students.

The blonde was staring down at the boy who was indeed doing his best to hide his gum he was chewing on. "Thought he could hide it, how cute," Liv laughed.

Clara walked over to the trash bin beside her desk and cleared her throat as she walked up to the student. "Gum, Ryan."

The student, Ryan, looked up dejectedly. He stood from his chair and spit his gum into the waste bin. "Will I get it back at the end of school?"

"Ew," Liv crinkled her nose but Clara struggled not to smile.

"How will you know which one's yours?" Clara asked and received a shrug back. "Fine then," she walked away, leaving the waste bin on the corner and continued on with her lecture. "Right. Now, where was I? Jane Austen. Amazing writer, brilliant comic observer, and strictly among ourselves-" she stopped by a window, smiling to herself, "-a phenomenal kisser."

But then she stopped.

"Miss?" one of the students asked after a long minute of silence. "Miss?"

Clara was staring out the window, specifically an airplane in the sky.

Liv walked up next to her to see what exactly had caught her attention. "Oh," was all she could say after spying the plane.

Clara turned back for the nearest table and grabbed a marker. She returned to the window and drew a circle around the airplane just to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

"It's just... _still_ …" Liv blinked.

"Everybody turn on their phones. News websites and Twitter," Clara addressed her students while she opened the window to look out.

"Twitter?" Ryan repeated, confused.

"Hashtag, #ThePlanesHaveStopped!"

It didn't take long for the news to spread. Twitter was by far the quickest way to spread news. All the kids in Clara's classroom were alarmed and full of chatter of what could possibly be freezing all plans in the middle of cities. Clara was doing her own research on her phone when it began to ring. When she saw the caller ID - Minerva - Clara quickly took the call.

"Minerva! You'll never believe-" but Clara was immediately shushed and ordered to listen up.

~ 0 ~

Getting into UNIT was no problem when you were Clara Oswald - and Liv...Oswald. Clara came running into the room where she was told that Kate Stewart and other workers were doing their best to control the situation.

"The planes aren't responding. No, none of them…" Kate was in the middle of a phone call when Clara finally ran into the room.

"Stop it all!" she commanded and stopped by a table to catch her breath.

"What-"

Liv appeared in the room as well, far calmer and clearly not tired like Clara. "Stop it all, there's no emergency - at least not from the planes."

"What are you...how...what is going on?" Kate finally settled for one question to ask.

"The planes are not meant to be a danger," Liv explained while Clara caught her breath. "It was actually-"

"Actually, it was _me_ ," Minerva strode into the room all calm and collected. Her short, curly blonde hair bounced over her shoulders as she came up to the women.

"Y-you?" Kate made a face, the rest of her workers nearby doing the same exact expression.

"Yes, I do apologize for the inconvenience," Minerva mumbled as she took a look at the room flooded with all sorts of machinery meant to solve the newest case.

"Inconvenience!?" one of the workers, Jac, stood up from her chair, frankly a bit indignant.

"Pesky inconvenience, sorry," Minerva raised her hands in forms of neutrality. "I was trying to get someone's attention."

"If you mean the Doctor we haven't been able to contact him," Kate informed, apparently upsetting Minerva.

"Yeah, well, you and me both," she frowned and moved over to the monitors across the room. The rest of the women followed, but Clara was the one to catch Minerva's words.

"What do you mean you haven't gotten ahold of the Doctor? Is that why you did this?"

Minerva scoffed. "I don't need to stop planes to contact my husband, Clara. And for your information, he skipped out on my three days ago. Usually, when he goes off into the TARDIS he's back in one hour max."

"Maybe he just snapped from living on the Monsoon for two years," Liv nudged Clara, Minerva missing their knowing smiles.

It had been two years since Minerva and the Doctor decided to quit their travelling for their son, Elias. While they did occasionally hop back in the TARDIS for some visits to Earth or just a family outing, they made sure to spend most of their time on Minerva's home planet: the Silver Monsoon. It worked out perfectly because after Clara's boyfriend, Danny Pink, died, Clara had opted for a time away from the TARDIS as well. Though after about a year or so, Clara had begun to confide in Liv that she felt ready again to begin travelling...it was just a matter of when Minerva and the Doctor felt the same. To pass the time, and make things more interesting, she and Liv made a bet to see when the Doctor - who was voted most probable to travel again first by them - would snap and officially begin travelling.

"No, something happened," Minerva studied the monitors for something specific. "I sent him to get some snicker doodles from my grandmother for Elias' birthday party-"

"Which we so have a gift for," Clara interrupted just to make it clear she and Liv were prepared. Although it was hard getting a four year old alien prince a birthday party, they thought it all came down to Elias being a simple toddler who enjoyed toys.

Minerva rolled her eyes. "That was three days ago. I had to postpone Elias' birthday party and he was not happy. My point being: the Doctor would _never_ miss his only breathing child's birthday."

"So something happened," Liv said.

"But what's that got to do with the planes?" Kate demanded to know. "How do you plan on getting ahold of the Doctor with the planes?"

"I'm not trying to contact the Doctor. Didn't you just hear that I haven't been able to do that?" Minerva turned around, huffing because she had to repeat herself.

"Then... _who_ are you trying to contact?"

"We've got a message," a worker reported from the other side. "The Doctor channel."

As the women turned around, Minerva smirked.

"Sorry, what?" Clara blinked.

"He never uses it. I doubt he remembers it even exists," Kate admitted as she walked on over to the worker's desk.

"He doesn't," Minerva followed.

"Then who is it?" Liv curiously wondered.

"Decrypting," the worker who'd reported the transmission worked on the monitor. "We're getting text through, I think."

"Texting?" Minerva repeated, rolling her eyes as she came up to stand beside Kate. "She's kidding me."

"Who?" Clara stopped behind her. "Who did you contact?"

"The one person who can unfortunately help me in this case."

The monitor translated the first couple of words: ' _You so fine._ '

"Have you got any more?" Kate asked the worker.

"Coming!"

' _You blow my mind. Hey Missy, you so fine, you so fine, you blow my mind! Hey Missy!_ '

Clara gaped. Liv scowled.

Minerva once again rolled her eyes. "Oh give me a break you dramatic little-"

The last of the Time Ladies, Missy, appeared on the monitor alive as ever. "Today, I shall be talking to you out of-" her head suddenly popped out of the screen, scaring the women half to death, "-the square window!"

Minerva frustratedly ordered everyone to be quiet. "Missy!"

"Snowflake Princess!" Missy mocked her voice. Soon after though, she smirked. "You rang?"

"Oh n-n-n-n-n-no!" Clara pulled Minerva around. "You called _her_!? Why, oh why did you ever - hang on," she suddenly blinked and glanced back at the monitor to Missy's waiting figure, "How is she _alive_?" the last thing she remembered was seeing a Cyberman shoot Missy.

"As _if_ she would die," Minerva sighed and turned around to the monitor again. "I rang her because I needed her."

"Music to my ears," Missy wiggled her fingers over her ear.

"But she killed you!" Liv reminded.

"Aha," Minerva of course never forgot that Missy, as the Master, had murdered her in her first incarnation.

"And she made you doubt yourself saying you've changed for the worst!" Clara also added.

"Still stand by it," Missy informed them.

"Shut up," Minerva snapped. "I hate her, true, but she is the only one that can help me."

"I'm in a lovely little square in one of your, oh, I don't know, hot countries," Missy barely looked around her surroundings. "There's a light breeze coming from the east, this coffee-" she raised a small white cup in front of her mouth, "-is a buzz-monster in my brain, and I'm going to need eight snipers."

"Eight _what_?" Kate repeated incredulously.

"Three for each heart, and two for my brain stem. You'll have to switch me off fast, before I can regenerate."

"Why do you need snipers?" Minerva muttered her question.

"Because it's the only way you'll feel safe enough to talk to me. Shall we say four o'clock?"

"You can say whatever the hell you want-" Minerva slammed a hand on the desk, startling the women behind her, "-but you will never say that I am afraid of you, Missy."

Missy smirked and the transmission ended.

"Minerva, what have you done?" Kate released a breath of utter fear.

Slowly, Minerva turned around, looking weary. "Whatever it takes to find my husband."

~ 0 ~

Somewhere off in Italy, Missy had made herself comfortable in a town square. She was the only person in the area for miles off. Sitting at one of the empty tables, she continued to drink from her espresso while silently counting off each of the laser beams that took aim at her chest and she was sure to the back of her head. A small smirk appeared on her when she saw the black car pull up across her. Two security men got out from the front seats and the driver moved back to open the passenger's door.

When Minerva stepped out she glared straight at Missy who just smiled back. Her hand brushed over the vortex manipulator sitting on her wrist. Kate had given her one in case things got ugly. But Minerva wouldn't dare to leave the innocent humans behind so that Missy could prey on them like it was all a game.

"Do not shoot under any circumstances," Minerva mumbled into her earpod where Kate Stewart and the rest of UNIT were listening in.

Liv had not agreed to stay back in UNIT quarters and appeared right beside Minerva. "I can't believe you called her in," she said in pure disgust.

"You think I've forgotten it all? No," Minerva grew tired of explaining. "But like it or not, she can help."

"So you keep saying," Liv motioned for them to begin walking.

Missy silently watched the two come up to the table and motioned Minerva to take a seat across.

Minerva sat down, an ice cold look on her face.

"I have to commend you on your way of contact," Missy began, putting down her espresso cup. "Didn't know your species was able to understand a basic time stop trick."

For the sake of the urgency of the situation, Minerva let that slide. "I've had a good teacher. He once mentioned it was your favorite trick."

"Oh," Missy leaned forwards, "he talks about me?"

Almost with a slam, Minerva put down a golden disc device on the table between them. She studied intently Missy's face that garnered several different emotions at the sight. Liv couldn't figure out what the disc was. It was golden with familiar, yet unreadable, symbols over its top. There was a thin triangle exposed at the top.

"So you know what it is?" Minerva questioned after a minute.

Missy looked up, for once out of words.

"It came to me two days ago, like nothing. I know it's got to do with the Doctor because of the Gallifreyan symbols over it," Minerva tapped the cover of the disc. "But I've no idea what it is, nor what it means."

"Well of course you don't," there was a strange tune to Missy's voice that put Minerva back for a moment. "It's strictly Gallifreyan. It belongs to a Time Lord - something _you_ are _not_."

"That much I figured," Minerva said, straight-faced. Missy shifted on her chair, looking to the side. Minerva tilted her head and examined Missy's entire posture and mood. "Do I...do I detect a bit of _resentment_ from you?"

No answer.

"Did someone's feelings get hurt?" Minerva assumed she was right and laughed. "Oh that does make me calling you feel a lot better, I'll tell you that. So tell me, what is it? And what does it mean?"

Missy's gaze snapped back onto Minerva, for a moment looking like she would attack. Then, all calmly, she answered the questions. "It's a Confession Dial."

"Good so far, what does it _mean_?"

"In your terms, a will. The last Will and Testament of the Time Lord known as the Doctor, to be delivered...according to ancient tradition…" Missy gritted her teeth, "...to his closest friend on the eve of his final day."

Minerva had frozen in her spot. "A...a will?" Missy nodded. "Why...why would...why would he send this to me? I don't…"

"Oh, Snowflake Princess, can you not figure it out? Wherever he is, whatever he's doing, the Doctor clearly believes he's about to die. It will only open when he's dead."

Minerva shook her head and snatched the Confession Dial from the table, gripping tightly in her hand.

Missy rolled her eyes at the woman's reaction. "I can't believe he sent it to _you_ instead."

"Why wouldn't he?" Liv snapped before Minerva could even think. "She's his wife. You're his enemy."

"I'm his _friend_ -"

"He's not your friend," Liv scoffed. "You keep trying to kill him."

"He keeps trying to kill _me_ ," Missy shrugged. "It's sort of our texting. We've been at it for ages."

"That's enough," Minerva finally spoke up and stood from her chair, sliding the disk into her blazer's pocket. "We're done here. I would thank you for your help but I don't like you."

Missy raised an eyebrow but Minerva didn't wait for her response. Just as Minerva and Liv started walking back to the car, they heard a zapping noise.

Missy had fired on one of the secret service men that brought Minerva in.

"MISSY!" Minerva whirled around angrily.

" _I_ say when we're done!" Missy slammed her hands on the table as she got up. "Who do you think you are? More importantly, who do you think _I_ am answering to some Snowflake Princess? I am _not_ your universal helpline your highness!"

"SIT DOWN!" Minerva shouted and held a threatening, glowing blue, hand at her. "Let's find out how many regenerations you have left."

Liv appeared beside Missy. "I wouldn't press that device again."

Missy rolled her eyes and sat back down with a plop!

Minerva stormed back to the table. "You don't _ever_ threaten me like that again. Do not forget where we stand now."

"I needed to get your attention now," Missy shared the briefest smirks. "Do I have it?" Minerva tilted her head, lips pursed together. "Question," Missy raised a finger. "If the Doctor has one last night to live, if he's certain he's facing the end of his life, where, in all of space and time, would he go?"

"Oh, you're helping?" Liv had herself a good laugh. "Why would you ever help?"

"Because, unfortunately, she actually gives a damn," Minerva rubbed her face, ignoring Liv's shell-shocked face. "If she's not the one to kill him, then she'll care," Minerva added as an explanation.

Ten minutes later, there was a laptop on the table between Minerva and Missy. Liv stood behind the two, eyes glued on Missy. From UNIT, algorithms were being formed all over the map of the world.

"How did you set these algorithms up, Kate?" Minerva asked after a moment of looking at the points.

"The algorithm generates probabilities based on crisis points, anomalies, anachronisms, keywords," Kate's worker, Jac, answered.

"That won't do," went both Minerva and Missy.

"Oh, you know a thing or two?" Missy mocked her.

Minerva held a hand in front of Missy's face and continued conversing with Kate. "We're going to have switch the algorithms, Kate. When Time Lords die they are meant to do so with mediation, repentance and acceptance."

"Don't forget the contemplation of the absolute," Missy added.

"Hm," Minerva said. "So eliminate the crisis points. I need to know where the Doctor is making the most noise when there isn't any crisis."

"Oh, so a party?" Liv frowned.

"My husband has style," Minerva smirked. "Too bad I'm gonna smack it off him when I see him next."

All the blips of light on the computer began to go off until there was only one left.

"So maybe you're not that stupid," Missy meant that as a compliment, Minerva knew, but the blonde still felt like strangling her.

"Clara?" Minerva spoke to the comm. again. "Get ready. We're going to make a trip."

"Oh, do we have to bring _her_?" Missy rolled her eyes.

"Excuse me? Who said _you_ were coming?" Minerva slapped shut the laptop and started getting up from her chair. "You're lucky I didn't ice you right now."

"We both know that you need my expertise and we also know I am willing to kill - literally - to get on this trip," Missy rose from her chair gracefully. "So what's it gonna be, Snowflake Princess? Nice? Or bad?"

Minerva glared. Man she hated that woman.

~ 0 ~

With the help of Missy's vortex manipulator, Clara was picked up and the three women - plus Liv - appeared at the place where the Doctor was meant to be. It was dark and illuminated by various torches. It appeared they were standing on castle ramparts.

Missy pushed herself up, taking one look below which seemed to be a courtyard full of people standing as a crowd. There was one tall, heavy man standing in the middle of the courtyard waving an axe. "According to you, this is where the Doctor is," she told Minerva who was getting up with Clara.

"But how do we find him?" Clara inquired.

"And how do we know what we're looking for?" added Liv.

"Anachronisms," Missy replied. "The slightest, tiniest-"

But, an electric guitar riff filled the area, leaving all the women stunned.

They rushed for the edge and saw the procession below. The Doctor was indeed in the area, and he was currently making his fashionable entrance into the courtyard on top of a _tank_. With sunglasses on, he finished off his riff and bowed to the crowd.

" _Dude_ ," went the man with the axe that had been waiting, "What is _that_?"

"You said you wanted an axe fight," the Doctor lowered the guitar and waited for some laughs. "Oh, come on. In a few hundred years, that'll be really funny. It's a slow burner."

"A musical instrument is not an axe," the man, Bors, deadpanned.

"Yes, and a daffodil is not a broadsword, but I still won the last round!"

The crowd cheered.

The Doctor hopped off the tank and addressed the crowd. "What do you think of my tank? Don't worry, it isn't loaded."

"I don't like it," Bors shook his head.

"No, neither do I," the Doctor said after a moment. "I bought it for my fish."

"Your fish?"

"I may have ordered online!" the Doctor frowned at the silence from the crowd. "Fish? Tank?" he made a walk for one of the stands. "Honestly, this stuff will be hilarious in a very few hundred years. Do please stick around."

"Oh my God he's finally, actually lost it," Minerva rubbed her forehead.

At the sound of her voice, the Doctor looked up at the rampart and found her.

"He heard you," Clara blinked, quickly looking to Minerva. "He doesn't know we're here, does he?"

"Oh, he _knows_ ," Minerva crossed her arms. "And if he knows what's good for him he better start earning points with me." And just like that, the Doctor began to play on his guitar the opening of Pretty Woman. Minerva couldn't hold back her smile. "Excellent start," she whispered, feeling like a school child with her heart beating so fast. Shaking her head, she headed downstairs.

The Doctor turned to the crowd, now taking it as his last moments in that area. "Now, you lot. I have been here all day, and it's been a great day!"

"You've been here for three weeks," Bors corrected.

"Three weeks?" the Doctor stopped and contemplated. "Oh, I missed my boy's birthday. I'll give him my fish and tank. But-" he pointed at the rest, "-we've partied! I helped you dig a well, with a first-class, child-friendly visitor's center! I've given you some top-notch maths tuition in a fun but relevant way. And I have also introduced the word "dude" several centuries early. Let me hear you!"

"Dude!" went the crowd in cheers.

"Are you a Renaissance?"

"Dude!"

"Are you a Medieval?"

"Dude!"

" I am a dragon-slaying?"

"Dude!"

"We are all the young?"

"Dudes!"

The Doctor stopped. "I like it. But I've got some sad news for you, dudes. Tonight, I'm going to have to leave you." Some of the crowd wailed 'no!' to him. "But before I do, I'd like you to meet a couple of friends of mine."

The crowd cheered as Minerva strode into the courtyard. "I _know_ you did not just introduce me as your 'friend'." She stopped in front of the Doctor, in the mixture of anger and annoyance.

The Doctor was just so happy to see her, though his face was hidden behind the shades. He slid an arm around her waist and surprised her with a kiss.

Minerva blinked afterwards. "G-good points." Her eyes narrowed again though. "You missed Elias' birthday. I had to postpone it."

"My boy…" the Doctor was sure she hadn't brought along their recently-turned four year old son.

"He's mad," Minerva pointed at him. The Doctor surprised her next with a hug, a very tight one. "Oh!" Minerva wrapped her arms around him, hugging him back. "Hugging now? Martian…what _are_ you doing? What is all this?" she pulled away. "A party? Martian, you hate parties. At least in this regeneration anyways."

"I spent all day yesterday in a bow tie, the day before in a long scarf. It's my party, and all of me is invited," the Doctor rambled for a moment.

"Minerva?" Clara came rushing in, not even waiting for her own introduction. "What's going on?" Liv walked in after her, chosen to make herself visible only to the group.

"Oh, oh you brought visitors," the Doctor made a face at Clara but then really frowned when he saw Missy coming in. He started riffing to Mickie. "It's the wicked stepmother! Everyone hiss!" Missy didn't seem to care as the crowd booed her down. She flourished a handkerchief and gave a mock bow. "You brought her?" the Doctor asked rather sharply from Minerva.

"I'm sorry are _you_ upset with _me_?" Minerva incredulously asked back.

"No ma'am," the Doctor shook his head fast. Bors began to choke behind them. "Bors!" the Doctor turned and ran for his friend. "Is it a marble again? Did you swallow one of the marbles I gave you? Don't swallow marbles!" But what he pulled off the man was not marbles...but in fact a _snake_.

"Well…" Liv frowned as they all watched the snake hit the ground then slither to a robed figure across them.

"Doctor. Your friends have led me to you. You will come," the figure spoke in a slither manner.

"If one more person addresses me as your _friend_ …" Minerva mumbled.

"Says you and whose army?" the Doctor dared to demand.

The face off the figure began to turn in different directions like the coils of a snake. The robe around him dropped to leave a large serpent in it's place with smaller snakes hanging off it. Seeing that sight made the crowd instantly run in terror.

"Nobody dies here!" the Doctor set the rules for how it would work out. "Not one person, not one of my friends, do you understand?"

"Davros, creator of the Daleks, dark lord of Skaro, is dying."

"And?" this time it was Minerva who inquired, and highly interested to know how Davros was connected to the Doctor's mysterious disappearance. "Last time I heard he was dying in space. Almost by me, actually."

"He would speak with the Doctor again on the last night of his life."

"Then you will harm nobody in this place," the Doctor once more laid the rules, ignoring the incredulous face on Minerva. "Not one person. Are we very, very clear?"

The figure recoiled itself to resume its humanoid form. "Are you so dangerous, little man?"

"You want to know how dangerous I am? Davros sent you. You know how stupid you are? Huh! You came!" the Doctor then watched the figure hiss. "Is that supposed to frighten me? Snake nest in a dress? I'd be more afraid of my son playing ghost. Now, explain, politely. Davros is my arch-enemy. Why would I want to talk to him?"

"No, wait, hang on a minute. _Davros_ is your arch-enemy now?" Missy now wore nearly the same face Minerva had from a minute ago. "I'll scratch his eye out."

" _What_ eyes?" Minerva went.

"Oh, nice one Snowflake Princess," Missy playfully remarked.

"Davros knows. Davros remembers," the man held out the Doctor's sonic screwdriver and threw it to the ground.

As the women looked down at the sonic, configuring it to be the Doctor's, the man himself let his head hang.

"This is _yours_ ," Minerva spoke first, and had everyone's agreement.

"Er, it _was_ …" the Doctor slowly corrected.

"Was?"

"I don't have a screwdriver any more."

Minerva raised her head looking ready to finally smack the Doctor for all this foolishness. Three days ago he most definitely had a sonic screwdriver.

"Ooooh," Missy drawled, a hand on her hip as she studied the Doctor's face. "Never seen that before. Doctor, the look on your face. What is that?"

"Shame," Minerva could tell from a mile off. One would think she would've felt it but the Doctor had sealed off his mind three days ago. "You're ashamed. Doctor…" she stepped closer to him. "What have you done?"

That was the trick, wasn't it? The Doctor had thought about it for three weeks on how to explain to Minerva what he'd done. He came to the conclusion he was simply too ashamed to meet her eyes and tell her how he left a child - a child who would later become Davros himself - on his own in the middle of a war. He left the child to his luck even as the child cried for help. Because his mind had then wandered to his own son, Elias. The Doctor knew he was no good man, but for his son he strove to be the best father possible. He gave up his constant travels just so that Elias would have the opportunity of social interaction with children close to his species and age. But then, leaving a child to his luck at war...well, how could he ever face his own son after that?

"It's a trap," Missy warned the Doctor, in case he was missing it.

"Prepare yourself for teleport," the snake man said

Missy came around the Doctor, once more warning him. "Doctor, listen to me. I know traps, traps are my flirting. _This_ is a trap."

"I am prepared," the Doctor released a small breath.

"Oh no you are _not_ ," Minerva sharply corrected, walking up to him as well. "You send me a foreign object and throw yourself a three week party without so much of a word from you? And you think you'll get off that easily?" She clicked her tongue. "In your dreams, Martian."

But the Doctor had made up his mind. "Goodbye, Minerva."

He turned before he could see Minerva's 'not having it' face. One of the snakes from Sarff slithered its way to the Doctor and wrapped itself around his wrists like cuffs.

"Fine," Minerva said, for a second making the Doctor believe she was letting him go. "I'm coming with him."

"Well if she's going, then so am I," Missy swayed her head.

"N-n-n-no," Minerva refused.

"Oh you know we're going too," Clara held her bind wrists for the snake man.

"Under no circumstances!" the Doctor had turned around to make them see there was no point. He saw Sarff shaking awkwardly and frowned. "What are you doing now?"

"Voting. We are a democracy," Sarff continued to shake and wiggle for another minute before finally stopping. "It is agreed."

Three more pairs of snakes were released and bound Minerva, Clara and Missy like the Doctor.

"No, no, no! I forbid it, no! No!" the Doctor entered a fit.

Minerva remained absolutely calm as they waited to be taken. "You know," she glanced at Missy, "this might be the only thing we ever agree on: no one ever forbids us anything. Especially not the idiot with sonic sunglasses."

"Mmm," Missy hummed, agreeing.

~0~

The snake man, now known as Sarff, had transported everyone to his spaceship and was currently driving back to wherever it was Davros was in. Behind were Minerva and Clara sitting opposite from the Doctor and Missy. Despite not saying anything, Minerva's cold glare on the Doctor said it all.

She was not remotely interested in what they were meant to be doing and not an ounce happy the Doctor entertained the idea of going to Davros.

 _'Oh, so you lifted your telepathic barriers up_.'

The Doctor winced from his spot as soon as Minerva's voice filled his mind.

 _'Well,_ _ **some**_ _of them anyways,'_ Minerva narrowed her eyes.

 _'Minerva, I'm sorry-'_

 _'N-n-n-no, you don't grace yourself with an apology. You give me, your_ _ **wife**_ _, an explanation. What did you do?'_

But he wasn't able to muster the courage to tell his wife what he saw and what he did.

Once arrived at the spot, that turned out to be a whirling building in the middle of space, the group was taken to an empty room. With their wrists still bound, there wasn't much they could do. Missy was sitting on the ground, singing wordlessly.

Minerva, who was standing opposite against the wall, groaned. "Will you shut up?" she almost shouted.

As if to provoke her more, Missy sang a little louder. Minerva stood off the wall and stalked for the woman when the Doctor cut in and blocked the way.

Clara panicked at the idea of having the women fight in the one room and opted for a distraction. "How long have we been waiting?"

Liv appeared in the room after doing a small check of the premises. "Well, it's sort of empty," she declared, instantly making everyone turn to her. "Davros Davis is here," she said with eyes on the Doctor. "And there are a couple of Daleks. But everything is so...silent."

Colony Sarff opened the door behind them. "You will come," he motioned to the Doctor. "You will stay."

"Fair enough," Missy pushed herself up from the floor.

The Doctor was on his way to leave when he heard once again Minerva in his mind.

 _'If you manage to get yourself killed I'm just going to let Elias have you for missing his party..._ _ **again**_ _.'_

The Doctor made a face. As Elias was growing his parents had come to learn that while he was an overall shy boy, much like his mother's first incarnation, he could have his temper moments. Frankly the Doctor didn't know who would be worse to face: his wife or his son.

 _'Gravity.'_ Was all he said back.

"Hmm," Minerva lightly bobbed her head as he finally left. Soon as the doors closed she iced the snake on her wrists and got herself free. "Missy, gravity."

"I know," the woman replied in a mock high-pitched voice. Of course she realized.

"Gravity?" Clara repeated, she and Liv not quite in the know yet.

"You know what's wrong with the gravity in here?" Minerva walked over to her to break the snake on her wrists.

Clara's eyes roamed the room but it was completely empty except for them. "No."

Missy did a small tap dance. "Nothing!" she sounded like she was scolding Clara for her oblivion. "It's perfect. But this is a space station, so the gravity should be artificial, all coppery-smelling round the edges, a tiny bit sexy-" Minerva scoffed when Missy did an American accent.

"Mocking me today can get you killed because you're not focused," the blonde snapped.

"So if it feels real...we're not on a spaceship?" Liv asked both out of honest question and to bring the two women back.

"Like a planet," both women agreed.

Clara shook her head, feeling so weird and almost wrong. "I have seen many things but not this. Minerva, she's your murderer and she's tried killing the Doctor. How can you stand there and just... _bicker_ with her?"

"Oh, I'm still watching my back-"

"Take me serious, dammit!" Clara stomped a foot, feeling like a child the next second. This incarnation of Minerva had a habit of taking most things sarcastically and sometimes it was just not the time.

"Clara, I don't like her," Minerva reassured the brunette.

"I don't like her either," Missy said afterwards. "But we have a relationship-"

"We have _no_ relationship," Minerva turned around to face the woman. "Don't get carried away. Gravity?" she gestured to the airlock button.

Missy rolled her eyes and threw off the snake that was around her wrist, revealing it to be dead. "Alright, fine."

Clara stiffened when Missy headed for the airlock. Liv did the same because of Clara. "Wh-what is she doing?" Clara asked Minerva.

"Today might be the day I finally kill you, Snowflake Princess," Missy hummed and let her fingers tap along the airlock.

"Yes, sure, save your threats for later," Minerva muttered and walked forwards.

"What are you doing? Are you opening it?" Clara couldn't believe her eyes despite seeing Minerva and Missy working together for the briefest of minutes.

"Clara, trust me," Minerva assured.

"I do," Clara swallowed and glanced at Liv. "We're just worried about the little murderer right next to you."

"Minerva?" Liv panicked when the alarms went off because the two women had opened up the door.

"Liv, there's no artificial gravity," Minerva looked back, seeming a bit offended they were doubting her.

"Yes, but-"

"Clara," Minerva's voice sharpened. Clara took a breath and just waited for the doors continued to finish opening. When it did, she inwardly sighed of relief to see no one was being sucked out. Remembering one of Clara's echoes, Minerva smiled. "You'll like this bit, Clara." She took a step out and before Clara could yell for her to stop Minerva had hopped out.

"H-how are you…?" Clara rushed up to the threshold, eyes wide as could be.

Minerva was literally standing on invisible ground. "It's a bit warm, don't you think?"

Missy swayed her head, acknowledging the blonde's correctness. "It does. For deep space, anyway."

"Minerva how are you doing that?" Liv shared a fascinated look with Clara, probably both feeling the same as tended to happen between them.

"Come on out," Minerva motioned.

Clara didn't need to be told twice. She stepped onto the invisible ground and opened her arms like she would fall at any moment. Missy soon came out as well and, of course, did a small little number.

"What...there's a floor?" Liv stepped out last.

"No, there's ground. This is the ground," Missy stomped a foot for show. "We're on a planet."

"Meaning that's-" Minerva pointed to the 'space station', "-a building. I assume the rest of the planet is invisible."

Clara laughed softly as she performed a little dance as well, truly reminding Minerva of Clara's Victorian echo. "That's ridiculous."

Missy rolled her eyes at how easily humans were amused. "Well, yes, of course it is. I mean, how would you ever find your glasses? Or the little girl's room? And what if you kissed an ugly? Unless, when you're part of the atmosphere, you start syncing with the spectrum."

"But why would anyone want to hide a whole planet?" Liv couldn't find it in her to be as amused as Clara, despite feeling inklets of Clara's emotions.

"It would depend on the planet," Minerva stopped moving when she saw more of the same buildings begin to flicker into existence.

Missy stiffened as her eyes scanned the familiar buildings that were turning into dozens and dozens over a desert ground. "No…"

Minerva glanced at Missy, surprised to find that the woman seemed actually _fearful_. "What is it? Where are we?"

"They've built it again. They've brought it back…" Missy's voice was strained.

"Brought what back?" Minerva couldn't configure the pieces at the moment but if it was enough to frighten Missy then she should probably be just as scared.

"Skaro."

And there it was.

Clara looked at her friend who went into a state of shock. "What's Skaro?"

Minerva swallowed hard, her breath shuddering. "This is the planet of the Daleks, Clara."

"Correct," they heard a Dalek's voice not too far.

Minerva was properly scared.

"Minerva, run!" Liv frantically ordered but Minerva did no such thing.

"We run we're killed," Missy snapped at her instead.

As a tactical strategy, they allowed the Dalek to take them into the building where they'd originally been in. They were brought into a large, white room filled with colored Daleks. Minerva's eyes spotted the TARDIS sitting in the middle. There was no way in hell she could reach it in time before getting shot.

"That's the TARDIS," Clara breathed. "How did she get here?"

"It has been procured," a red Dalek on a raised dais answered.

Minerva glowered as a big laser gun lowered from the ceiling and other Daleks came out. "Intending on getting in?" she called out, trying her best to keep her voice still.

"The Tardis will not be entered. The Tardis will be destroyed."

Clara chuckled. "Yeah, well, good luck, because she's indestructible."

Minerva made a face. Missy shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Who told you that? The Doctor? Because you should never believe a man about a vehicle. Snowflake Princess over here ain't such a truth tell anymore either."

"Shut the hell up," Minerva snapped.

~ 0 ~

From Davros' room, the Doctor helplessly watched on a monitor as his wife, Clara and Missy were led into the Daleks' room. He was trying to get through to Minerva telepathically but the blonde either was ignoring him or shutting him out.

"What are they going to do?" he demanded from Davros, looking back at the creature nearly trapped inside half of a Dalek's exterior with wires hanging up above. "Tell me, what?"

"Who can I say? You know what children are like," there was a sinister tinge to Davros' tone.

"Daleks! Pay attention!" they heard Missy begin on the monitor.

The Doctor turned back again, hearts beating wildly. Missy was about to get them killed and this time for real. "Don't. Just don't!"

~ 0 ~

"What the hell are you doing?" Minerva hissed at Missy but the brunette couldn't be bothered.

She moved forwards, acting like they were just at any ole regular place. "You know what this is? This thing you're about to destroy?" she stopped by the TARDIS, patting it. "I'll tell you! It's the dog's unmentionables. And you know all about those, don't you? This is a Tardis. With this, you can go anywhere, do anything, kill anyone. With this, the Daleks can be more powerful than ever before."

" _Missy_ ," Minerva said through gritted teeth, balling one of her fists.

But Missy went up to a ledge opposite of the TARDIS, gaining all of the Daleks' attention. "You just need one thing! _Me_. You need me. A Time Lady, to show you how it works. With this and with me, everything can be yours. And you can burn it all, for ever and ever and ever." Missy paused and locked eyes with a furious Minerva. "Or would you rather just kill me?"

"Minerva…" Clara whispered, shaking with fear.

"Sh…" the blonde managed to say.

The Daleks turned to the Supreme Dalek. "Maximum extermination," the Supreme Dalek commanded.

"Exterminate," went the Dalek closest to it.

Missy was then fired upon and disappeared.

"Run!" Liv pleaded to the two remaining women in the room.

~ 0 ~

In Davros' room, the Doctor was sure he was about to regenerate from hearts attack. It was only Minerva and Clara in the Daleks' room now, and Liv he was sure but couldn't see, and they had no way out.

"Please!" he faced Davros, ready to get on his knees if needed. "I'm begging you. Save Minerva, save Clara. Please!"

Davros would have shown boredom or sinistry if his face allowed it. "I gave the Daleks life. I do not control them. See how they play with them. See how they toy. They want them to run. They need them to run. Do you feel their need, Doctor? Their blood is screaming kill, kill, kill! Hunter and preys, held in the ecstasy of crisis. Is this not life at its purest?

The Doctor looked at the monitor, racking his mind - actually, trying to push through to Minerva's mind.

 _This might be it, Martian_. He finally heard her voice but couldn't relax one bit. _Do me a favor and escape back to our son, please. One of us should be there for his birthday._

 _Not **remotely** funny_. He would have outright argued with her if time had been generous.

~ 0 ~

"Minerva…" Clara couldn't see them actually surviving but hoped, at least, Minerva was thinking about something.

"I don't...I don't know, I'm sorry," the blonde admitted and gave Clara a teary-eyed glance.

"Run," Clara then whispered. If there was nothing to do, nothing to fight, then she would at least try making a run for it. It definitely beat taking death in a still motion. She reached for Minerva's hand and, the two making the decision silently, they turned and dashed towards the door.

"Exterminate!" the Daleks fired at the two women on the spot.

~ 0 ~

"NO!" the Doctor shouted from his spot. Furious than ever, he turned to Davros. "Why have I _ever_ let you live!?"

"Compassion, Doctor. It has always been your greatest indulgence. Let this be my final victory. Let me hear you say it, just once. Compassion is wrong."

The Doctor's attention was momentarily drawn back to the monitor when the Daleks began to shout 'destroy!'

The TARDIS was next on the hit list.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

And then there was season 9 ;). This is one of my favorite seasons oh my God. I'm so excited for this story!


	2. Escape from Skaro

"Wake up, Clara. Wake up! Clara!"

Clara's eyes slowly fluttered opened, instantly feeling a blazing heat. Her vision cleared up to find her friend, Liv, on her knees right beside her. Upon seeing Clara waking up, Liv smiled and looked over her body. "She's up," she seemed to be informing.

"Excellent."

Clara sat up, releasing a breath and seeing Minerva calmly sitting over a rock with a wooden, pointy stick in her hand. "Minerva…?"

"Glad you're awake," Minerva smiled down. "You might want to get up from the ground. It's a bit dirty."

"What…?" Clara raised her hands off the desert-like ground and got up. "Woah!" she was startled to find Missy alive but...hanging upside down with her ankles tied by an ice rope.

"Don't be afraid, she won't be getting out anytime soon," Minerva's voice lowered once her eyes laid on Missy.

"Oh, we both know that's a lie," Missy rolled her eyes. She didn't look the least bothered nor the least scared about her situation.

"Um…" Clara looked between the two women, awfully confused. "Shouldn't we be ... I don't want to say...dead, but...yeah..."

"That's what I thought at first," Liv admitted. "Had to scour the area until I found you again."

"You can thank _me_ for that," Missy once again called, this time smugly smiling. Clara didn't buy it. She glanced at Minerva for some explanation but Minerva nodded that it was indeed because of Missy that they survived. "Told you," Missy smirked.

"Okay…" Clara still didn't know how they were brought up to the point they were now, "... _how_?"

"I used our vortex manipulators' power to get us out of there instead of dying because of the Daleks," Missy explained. "Simple diversion trick."

"That's how she survived the Cybermen," Liv shared with Clara the bit they learned while the latter was out.

"Okay," Clara once again nodded her head. "So...so why is she tied up?" she jerked a thumb in Missy's direction.

Minerva glowered at Missy, yet dangerously calm. "We had a disagreement."

"Of?"

"Disclosure."

"Ah." Clara awkwardly crossed her arms. Part of her struggled to keep a straight face but it became difficult as Missy comically and slowly turned with the rope.

Minerva was outraged Missy hadn't bothered to share with her what she'd done to their manipulators and decided that while she didn't want to kill Missy...it didn't mean she couldn't have fun getting some revenge.

"It's been an hour, snowflake princess, when are we getting back to business?" Missy tiredly asked.

Minerva got up from the rock she was sitting on and turned to Clara, ignoring Missy's question. "We have quite the task ahead of us, Clara. The Doctor thinks we're dead-"

"But should you be able to do that mind-talking thingy?" Clara's eyes looked at Minerva's hands but found no wedding ring on Minerva's finger. Without it, Minerva could not use her telepathic abilities.

"I decided against it," Minerva patted her jacket to indicate her wedding ring was safely tucked inside. "If the Doctor thinks we're alive then he might do something stupid to try and get us back. If we're dead, then he has to focus on escaping and getting back to Elias thinking he's Elias' only parent left."

"Kinda harsh don't you think?" Clara questioned. Liv sighed beside her.

"Cold, actually," Missy remarked. "Even for you, snowflake princess."

Minerva spared her a brief glance. "Once could say it's my way to get back at him for his little 3-week party."

"Still harsh," both Clara and Liv said.

Minerva snapped her fingers and instantly made the ice rope tying Missy's ankle melt. Missy dropped onto the ground with a thump and glared at Minerva.

"Now then, the Doctor's trapped at the heart of the Dalek empire. Between us and him is everything the deadliest warrior race in the history of the universe can throw at us." Minerva took a couple steps towards the Dalek city ahead of them. "Now we, on the other hand, have next to nothing. Please, don't let that discourage you."

"What's that for?" Clara came up beside her, her finger pointing at the stick still in Minerva's hand.

"For you," Minerva surprised her by handing her the stick. "In case that one over there-" she made a nod towards Missy, "-tries anything funny and I'm not around."

"Okay," Clara slowly nodded.

However, before they could even begin to think of a proper idea, they saw the Daleks of the city rise from the ground, like there was some sort of emergency.

"What's happening?" Clara quickly asked the two women with her.

"I think…" Minerva clicked her tongue, "...my husband. He should quite upset with our 'demise'."

"Still not telling him, then?" Missy came by, slightly amused.

"Yeah, I mean, it might not be a good idea to keep him thinking that…" Liv hated to agree with Missy.

"The idea was to keep him focused but now…" Minerva debated internally while her eyes remained keen on the city, "...I think it might have the opposite effect."

Behind them, Missy had spotted something that caught her attention.

"You actually thought it would work?" Clara had herself a short laugh. "Now that's hilarious."

"Minerva, look," Liv pointed back to Missy who was now nearing an hole in the ground. Minerva turned around and started for the brunette.

"What is that?" Minerva nearly demanded from Missy once they'd neared.

"It's the sewers," Missy replied with a sly smile. "Take a look," she gestured.

Minerva eyed her for a moment but still came forwards. She put her hands on her knees and peered over.

"Daleks have _sewers_?" Clara tried to peer in as well.

"With one significant difference," Missy said suspiciously quiet.

"Being?"

"They're ever so slightly _alive_."

"They're what!?"

Missy scooted closer to Minerva, acting as if she were examining the hole as well. "How much of a drop would you say that is, snowflake princess? Can you see the bottom?"

"What do I look like?" Minerva muttered. "A flashlight?"

"Well maybe we could chuck a stone or something," Liv offered an idea.

"Oh yeah, good idea," Missy straightened up and gave one smirk down before she pushed Minerva into the hole.

"Minerva!" both Clara and Live shouted. But Minerva's screams echoed up to the top until there came a loud thud! In the end.

Missy tilted her head, a thinking face settled. "Hm, twenty feet," she decided.

Clara brandished the stick Minerva made for her, meaning to be threatening. Without Minerva around, Clara knew Missy would have no problem disposing of her like an empty can.

Missy just laughed. "Oh, poppet. Do you really think you could?" Clara didn't say anything but held the stick against Missy. "You can't survive here on your own."

"I've got Minerva," Clara said on instinct. "I've got Liv."

"You mean the woman who can only disappear herself?" Missy shot a smug smile at Liv. "Oh yes, you'll survive easily."

"Just remember that if Minerva doesn't make out, the Doctor will have no problem disposing of you too," Clara turned for the hole, missing Missy's annoyed face from her words, and jumped into the hole with her stick tight in hand.

~ 0 ~

By the time Minerva came to, the others were with her. As she blinked, her mind slowly caught her up with how she'd gotten where she was.

"Minerva?" Clara gently shook the blonde's arm, thinking it was best to just let Minerva go through the process of waking up on her own. Behind them, Liv stared at Missy like a hawk as the brunette walk from one gooey wall to the next.

"Minerva?" Clara tried again.

Minerva sat upright like a bolt when she remembered. "MISSY!" she shouted furiously.

"Oh, you're up," Missy stopped her pacing and placed her hands on her hips, no hint of remorse for what she'd done.

"Min-" Clara tried but Minerva jumped to her feet with her hands billowing with ice smoke.

"Really?" Missy's lips stretched into an amused smirk, her eyes flickering from one of Minerva's hands to the other. Minerva threatened to shoot her deadly ice. Missy didn't look remotely afraid. Instead, she dropped her hands to her sides and straightened, seemingly positioning herself to take the blow. But of course, it never came.

Minerva slowly lowered her hands, the icy smoke fading away in seconds. "I'm not gonna give you the satisfaction of being right."

"How big of you," Missy mocked and snatched Clara's stick from her hand.

"Hey…" Clara turned Minerva's attention before the blonde regretted standing down. "Are you okay?"

Minerva gave a small nod and began to look around. "What kind of sewer is this?" she crinkled her nose the moment she registered the foul odor in the place.

"Bit of a mess, isn't it?" Missy looked around shortly. "But Daleks don't generate much in the way of waste."

"So what is it all, then?" Clara got the idea Missy knew much more about the place than Minerva did.

"Decaying Daleks."

Immediately, the same expression of disgust spread from Clara to Liv, and then Minerva.

"Daleks can't die. Genetically hard-wired to keep on living, whatever happens. Well," Missy passed them by and took Clara's stick without asking. "But they still age, poor loves. Over time, the body breaks down, rots, liquefies. Interestingly, the Dalek word for sewer is the same as their word for graveyard." She then stabbed the stick into a part of the wall, which turned out to be parts of decaying Daleks.

~ 0 ~

The Doctor had seen better days, but even being on his worst enemy's home planet would be nothing compared to what he'd do if Minerva was actually dead. He had placed himself in Davros' dalek-chair, armed himself with a weapon (which already was quite the foreign aspect for him) and wheeled himself like nothing into the Daleks' main room. "Ask me what I want," he held the gun-like device at the surrounding Daleks. They'd gone past the 'shooting him' part when they realized he was protected by Davros' chair.

"Irrelevant," one could say the Supreme Dalek snapped. "You will not prevail. You will not succeed."

"I've been at the heart of your empire for forty two minutes, and I own it, and I haven't even got out of my chair. Ask me what I want."

"What do you want?''

"My wife," the Doctor spat. " I want Minerva Souza, safe, alive, and returned to me immediately, along with Clara Oswald. You bring them back. You do that. You do that now. Unharmed. Unhurt. Alive."

"Your associates-"

"I saw what happened," the Doctor's voice boomed in the room, his hands gripping the weapon. "I was there. And I'm hoping, for all of our sakes, that it was a _trick_."

"It was not a deception."

The Doctor's hearts clenched, but he did not accept it. "Because if Minerva Souza and Clara Oswald are really dead, then you'd better be very, very careful how you tell me."

~ 0 ~

Down in the sewers, as the four women made their way further, the Doctor's voice started filling the area. He was broadcasting to the entire planet apparently.  
"Listen to that," Missy hummed, stopping for a moment. "The Doctor without hope. Nobody is safe now."

"Who's going to tell me? Who's going to go first?" there was indeed a dangerous level in his words. "All the power Davros had is mine. Everything he had, I have. Who's going to tell me that Clara Oswald is really dead?"

"He'll burn everything. Us too," Missy gave a somewhat shaken look to Minerva.

Minerva closed her eyes, lightly sighing to herself. "Doctor, you idiot. You were supposed to get yourself out of there!"

"Still can't believe you bought that," both Clara and Liv shook their heads. Missy was just fascinated by them two.

Minerva reached inside her jacket and pulled out her wedding band. She slid it down her wedding ring and allowed her telepathic abilities to rise once more, lifting all barriers in her mind.

~ 0 ~

' _Doctor, what in the **hell** do you think you're doing?' _

It was almost like the Doctor recoiled from the weapon he held the moment he heard his wife's voice in his mind.

' _I **know** you're not exposing yourself in such a ridiculous plan?'_

' _Minerva? Minerva? Is that really you?'_ the Doctor lowered the weapon for a moment, forgetting where he was and what he was doing.

' _I'm sorry, is my angry voice not enough to convince you I am indeed alive and ready to smack you for what you're doing?'_

Yup, that was his Clever Girl alright.

A big smile started making its way across the Doctor's face, so distracted that he didn't even see Colony Sarff's snakes come to his chair. He gasped when the snakes tightened around his body. That was the last thing he remembered, as well as hearing his wife calling for him.

~ 0 ~

"This is exactly why I didn't want to do it!" Minerva exclaimed, close to taking off her wedding ring off again. She felt the Doctor's mind go into some sort of nervous state, indicating the Daleks, and no doubt Davros, had gotten to him again.

"But at least he knows you're alive," Liv reminded her. "And that is the Doctor we need right now."

"Yes," Clara agreed completely. She stopped when she saw a door at the end of their corridor. "Is that a lift?"

Missy looked in the same direction and nodded. "Yes, but never mind the lift. See that thing on the wall?" she pointed to a blue, metal circle over a rock on the wall.

"What about it?"

"Take a look."

But before Clara moved to do so, Minerva grabbed her arm to stop her. With one look, Minerva indicated she would be doing it instead.

"Closer," Missy instructed.

Although cautious, Minerva looked closer into the circle. "What am I even looking for?"

"Nothing," Missy shrugged and instantly received a glare from Minerva. "I'm giving it a good look at you."

Because then they heard a Dalek raging 'intruder alert' over them.

"Missy!" Clara grew tired of getting panic attacks because the woman simply loved to mess with Minerva.

"Why the hell did you do that?" Liv demanded as Minerva backed them Clara up from the lift doors.

"Ever ring a doorbell and run away before you died?"

If Liv could have, she would have slapped Missy then. Without thinking it, Clara reached over and smacked Missy on the arm. Liv smirked afterwards. The fact they could both feel each other's feelings and, when extreme, could even act on behalf of the other without thinking...wasn't such a bad thing sometimes.

"Alright Snowflake princess-" Missy clapped her hands together, "-do what you do best: stall."

"What am I supposed to do!?" Minerva turned on her.

"We need to trap and kill a Dalek. You're the bait, I'm the hook." She took a cameo brooch from her blouse's neck and held it up. "Dark star alloy. Goes through armour plating like a knife through people."

"Dare I ask where you even got that?"

"Minerva!" Clara shook Minerva's arm and pointed to opening lift doors.

"Got it in the olden days on Gallifrey. The Doctor gave it to me when my daughter-"

Minerva's eyes widened. "Daughter!?" she repeated incredulously. "I don't even know whether to believe tha-"

"Keep it talking," instructed Missy when the doors finally opened to reveal a Dalek inside. "We need to draw it out of the lift."

"You can't kill a Dalek with a brooch!" Clara didn't know much about Daleks but she definitely knew that.

Missy, on the other hand, disagreed. "Yes, you can!" she grabbed Clara's arm to bring her with her to a hiding spot.

"Minerva!" Clara looked after the blonde, preferring to stay where she was instead.

Minerva shook a hand for her to leave. "You go. If I die, kill her without hesitation."

The Dalek came trundling through the corridor for Minerva. "Humanoid detected. Remain still." Minerva's breath hitched as it came closer to her. "Do not move. Scan in progress. Moontsay unauthorised in restricted area. Sterilisation proceeding."

Minerva raised a hand for it, intending on fighting if she had to.

"Hey, you!" called Missy, jumping out from her hiding spot. "Guess what? I just put a hole in you." She pricked one of its globes and instantly drew out steam. "And another and another. And another!"

"What are you doing?" Liv frowned as more and more holes were puncture into the Daleks' case like it was nothing.

"Murdering a Dalek. I'm a Time Lady, it's our golf." Missy then shot a smirk to Minerva. "A Moontsay's golf is to die at their lasers, innit?"

Minerva's jaw tightened.

"What's that mean?" Clara glanced back in a mixture of confusion and curiosity. It didn't seem like Missy was poking fun this time, if not more like she was reminding Minerva of something.

"Damage levels insignificant," the Dalek reported.

"Oh, really?" Missy mocked. "I think you're forgetting you're surrounded by a bunch of very old, very angry Daleks." Because just then, the Daleks on the wall screeched. "You just got yourself a puncture in a bad neighborhood," Missy took on an American accent, angering Minerva behind. "Meet the locals? All blind and squelchy and out of their tiny minds, but they can still smell! Nobody hates like a Dalek. Here they come!" the decaying Daleks were swooshing their way to the Dalek's casing. "I think they want to steal your motor."

"Emergency! Emergency! My vision is impaired!" the one Dalek had brown liquid seep through its casing then out of its grill. "Exterminate! Exterminate!"

Minerva, Clara and Liv were utterly disgusted by the sight. Missy was quite at home.

"Oh, here comes the older generation!" Missy laughed as tentacles sprouted from the walls but did back up in the process."These young folks today are so tetchy!"

"Emergency! Emergency!"

It then exploded.

~0~

When the Doctor awoke, he was back in Dabros' chamber, the latter also reinstated in his life support chair.

"I hope you are grateful," Davros' raspy voice drew the Doctor's attention up ahead. "It wasn't easy to procure. And very nearly unique, of course. You should feel privileged. The only other chair on Skaro." The Doctor quickly looked down to realize he was sitting a regular, metal, foldable chair. "Don't get up."

But the Doctor bolted. "You neither."

"The chamber is sealed, and I believe you are not carrying your sonic device," Davros pointed after the Doctor had made way for the doors.

The Doctor turned around, not too upset of his circumstances. "I gave it up. Bad memories."

"I am dying, Doctor."

"You keep saying that, you keep not dying. Can you give it some welly? Come on!"

"And it is time for us to conclude our business together."

The Doctor stopped in front of Davros, flat toned as he responded, "We have no business."

"We have nothing but...look again at the cables, Doctor," Davros instructed. The Doctor turned sideways to glance at the raised, circular platform with wires hanging from the ceiling ams connecting to the platform. "Understand what they are. What they can do. Just step a little closer."

The Doctor stared at the wires, slowly coming to it. "They don't have much respect for you, do they? Your kids. Have you seen the state of this place? I mean, this is exactly where you dump a smelly old uncle slash family pet slash genius scientist who couldn't even invent legs." He bent down in front of the wires, taking some into his hands. "Seriously, how do your boys take it when everybody else has got two eyes?"

Davros didn't bother with his sarcasm. "You know what it is, of course."

The Doctor let go of the wires. "Oh, yes. It's a hyperspace relay, with some kind of a genetic component."

"I am connected to the life force of every Dalek on this planet. It is what has kept me alive. As their hearts beat, so does mine."

"Ooo. Nice. Vampiring off your own creations, just to eke out your days," the Doctor's words were full of sarcasm. "I'm surprised the Daleks allow it."

"Oh, they have no choice. My Daleks are afflicted with a genetic defect."

"What defect?"

"Respect. Mercy for their father."

The Doctor stood there, dumbfounded for a moment.

"Design flaws I was unable to eliminate," Davros paused once the Doctor cast another look at the wires. "And now he sees it. Now he understands. The cables, Doctor. Touch them. Imagine, to hold in your hand the heartbeat of every Dalek on Skaro. They send me life. Is it beyond the wit of a Time Lord to send them death? A little work and it could be done."

Frankly, a bit curious, the Doctor asked, "Er, why would you be telling me this?"

"Genocide in a moment. Such slaughter, not in self-defence. Not as a simple act of war. Genocide as a choice. Are you ready, Doctor? So many backs with a single knife." The Doctor backed away from the hyperspace relay but was startled to feel Davros' hand guide his own back to the cables again. "Are you ready to be a god?" without Davros' hand, the Doctor reached for the cables on his own but at the last moment faltered. It was not the same knowing what they could do in his hands. "Why do you hesitate? No one would know. Your wife is dead. Is this the conscience of the Doctor, or his shame? The shame that brought you here."

The Doctor backed away and turned. "There's no such thing as the Doctor. I'm just a bloke in a box, telling stories. And I didn't come here because I'm ashamed. A bit of shame never hurt anyone. I came because you're sick and you asked. And because sometimes, on a good day, if I try very hard, I'm not some old Time Lord who ran away. I'm the Doctor."

"Compassion then," Davros concluded.

"Always."

"It grows strong and fierce in you, like a cancer," Davros stated, meaning it like an insult.

"I hope so. Trying to make it clear to a little one," there was a tint a smile in the Doctor's face.

"It will kill you in the end."

"I wouldn't die of anything else."

"You may rely on it."

~0~

When it was safe, the four women in the sewer gathered around the dead Dalek. Missy popped open the lid and reached inside to scoop the remains of the mutant Dalek inside. Then, with expectant eyes, she looked at Clara. "Get in."

Clara blinked and immediately glanced at Minerva beside her, flabbergasted.

"You are finally out of your mind," Minerva stated.

"Have you not understood what we're doing?" Missy groaned. "We need to get back inside the building without instantly being killed. Put that one-" she pointed a finger at Clara, "-inside this," she directed her finger at the dalek case.

"She's not getting inside anything," snapped Minerva.

"I'd have to die twice before that happens," Liv stepped in front of Clara.

"She's the most disposable out of us three," Missy believed she was making a logical argument.

"What!?" Clara, more fearful of the idea of being put inside, turned to Minerva.

Minerva could see the terrible fear in Clara's eyes. "That's not happening," she put her hands on Clara's shoulders.

Missy rolled her eyes and moved a hand inside the Dalek casing to get its front panels open completely. A high tech, chair-like thing was inside. "Well, someone's got to. It's the only way we can get to the Doctor...don't you understand?"

Minerva raised her hands from Clara's shoulders and took a moment to think. Missy was right. Feigning as captured with someone inside the Dalek case was their best chance at seeing the Doctor And surviving. But putting Clara inside the Dalek was out of the question.

She released a breath, hands on either side of her face as she came to a conclusion. "Okay," she nodded, dropping her hands, "I'll do it."

Clara was now staring with wide eyes. "What!? Minerva-"

"I'll get in that...thing…" Minerva's heart raced at the mere idea of getting inside the case of the species that murdered her parents and a good portion of her people.

Missy smirked. "Excellent. Get in."

"Minerva, you can't do this!" Clara reached for her arm to stop her.

"We don't have the luxury of thinking of another plan," Minerva's shaking hand reached to touch the case and instantly felt her fear mount times three.

"Minerva…" Liv could almost not watch as the blonde got into the dalek case.

Minerva shuddered a breath, eyes closed for a moment. If they had been opened, she would've seen Missy's widened smirk. It was almost...as if she planned for it.

"What are you doing?" Liv's sharp voice cut into Missy's work.

Missy was sticking electrodes into Minerva's face. "These are hooking you up telepathically to the case."

"So it's basic telepathic control," Minerva understood then how she would begin to move the case. I think I want to move and I'll move."

"Ah, so you're not entirely stupid," Missy remarked, feigning surprise. There was a snap and Minerva yelped.

Clara flinched and both she and Liv moved closer to the casing to see if their friend was okay.

"Just penetrating your skull," Missy explained ever so sweetly. There's loads of nano-tech repairing any damage as the feed goes in."

Minerva felt more than uneasy with the idea of dalek technology getting inside her head. "What about when it comes out?"

Missy's lips twitched. "No idea." Minerva's eyes widened. "Nobody knows. Now shall we try to move a bit?"

Minerva got over her fear for a minute to sourly respond. "Sure thing. Step in front of me."

"Oh," Missy laughed. "Fascinating, but I've got a better idea." She touched a control again and made the Dalek casing begin to close.

Minerva controlled her breathing the best she could as everything sealed up in front of her.

"Missy, stop!" Clara nearly lunged to stop the closing but Missy held her back. "No, no, no, no! Minerva! Minerva!"

When everything was closed, Minerva pursed her lips together and screwed her eyes shut. She felt like an utter child with stinging tears behind her lids.

"Minerva, are you okay?" she heard Liv ask.

Forcing herself to recompose herself, Minerva opened her reddened eyes. "Y-yes," she answered.

"Okay...that's a bit weird," Clara had to remark on the Dalek voice that now served as Minerva's voice.

"All right. Shh. Say your name," Missy commanded, on the verge of being entertained.

"Why?" Minerva demanded to know.

"Just just say. Just say it!"

"Minerva."

But outside, it came out as "Dalek."

"Say it again," Missy blared a teethy smile. Beside her, Clara and Liv were staring in concern.

"Minerva Souza."

But once more, it came out as "Dalek. Dalek."

"One more time!"

Minerva grew frustrated with her words not coming out the way she was saying. "I'm Minerva Souza! Minerva!"

But it still came out wrong.

"Minerva! Kaeya!" Minerva practically shouted inside but it did no good.

Outside, all anyone heard was, "I am a Dalek! I am a Dalek! I am a Dalek! I am a Dalek!"

"Missy, stop it!" Clara ordered when the woman began to laugh.

Inside, Minerva reached her level. The Dalek case fired.

"Woah!" Missy jumped to the side, Clara doing so in the opposite direction. "Just don't get emotional. Emotion fires the gun. I know that's a complex task for a Moontsay, alright?"

"Fine," Minerva spat. "But mess with me again and I _will_ shoot you."

But Missy wasn't quite finished. "Say I love you."

"MISSY!"

Missy laughed and turned away, hand on her forehead. Clara looked between her and the Dalek.

"Let me guess, it would come out different like...Dalek?" she crossed her arms. "Or-"

"Daleks have no concept of those words," Minerva/the Dalek confirmed.

"Clever clogs," Missy sobered up slowly. "Fair warning, snowflake princess, Daleks channel emotion through a gun. That's why they keep yelling exterminate. It's how they reload. So, let's go and kill them. Come on."

With no choice, they went on with the plan.

~0~

"There is a question, Doctor. One I have longed to ask," Davros admitted.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, if you're going to put your hand on my knee, it isn't going to go well." He was growing tired of his farce of a conversation and was itching to get out and find his wife.

"Why did you leave Gallifrey?"

The question stopped the Doctor for a moment, but he reclaimed his casualness in a minute. "Well, because I did."

"You stole the Tardis, and ran and ran. Why?"

"It's a boring place, Gallifrey. I was going out of my mind. The only person I wanted wasn't there so I thought: what's the point."

"Yet you long to return."

"Ah, well, I'm inconsistent."

"But it is always the same lie."

"What lie?"

"You weren't bored. No one runs the way you have run for so small a reason."

The Doctor stiffened. "I do."

"No, you don't. Colony Sarff confiscated these items on your arrival." Davros wheeled his chair to a small table where a black box was. Inside was the Doctor's confession dial and sunglasses. "A Time Lord confession dial, I believe? Your confession. Tell me. Send me to my grave with this precious knowledge. What is the Doctor's confession?"

"Don't you dare!" the Doctor dashed to retrieve his confession dial before Davros could even touch it.

"Is it possible I have touched a nerve?"

The Doctor put the confession dial inside his coat's pocket. "Some things matter to me, Davros. Not many, but a few. And you don't put your fingers anywhere near them." He then reached inside the box to take his sunglasses as well. "And they'd better not be scratched. These are my best ones." He put on the sunglasses and purposely looked around.

"Still you play the fool," Davros would have sighed if he could.

"Well, by now that should make you nervous," the Doctor warned.

~0~

It was not an easy job but Missy's plan had successfully gotten them back into the Daleks' main control room. Missy wasted no time getting herself back at home.

"Oh, hello! Look at you all, with your nice, shiny domes. Oh, I am loving this!" she put a hand on the side of her face, feigning she was telling the biggest secret of her life. "You're my secret favorite. Don't tell the others," she said for the Supreme Dalek.

Clara nervously fidgeted behind. She hated this plan. She was sure Missy was just going to look for the perfect chance to double cross them or at least get them in harm's way.

"You are an enemy of the Daleks," Dalek Supreme announced.

"Yes, well, anyone who's not a Dalek is an enemy of the Daleks, so that was an easy guess," Missy casually replied back.

"You will be exterminated."

"Please, please do, because I have been on my feet all day," Missy gestured to her feet. "But you could also start with the human over here."

 _There it is_ , Clara inwardly sighed when Missy pointed at her.

"But before you get all exterminate-y, two things. One, I want to see Davros," Missy counted on her fingers. "Two, I have a lovely little gift for you all, if you take me to him right now."

"We do not negotiate."

"Queen of the Monsoon herself," Missy smirked. Minerva gasped from inside the Dalek case. She was very close to shooting.

"What are you doing!?" Liv hissed, appearing in front of Missy.

Missy paid no attention to the ghost in front of her. "Kaeya Louivier herself - or Minerva Souza - take your pick. Along with her little pet…"

"Missy," Clara gritted her teeth together.

"...Clara Oswald."

~0~

Because of his 'compassion' the Doctor succumbed into giving Davros one final wish before he died. Although he was getting worried he no longer heard Minerva in his mind. In fact, it was like something was blocking it, interrupting actually. Being with Missy didn't comfort.

Davros had moved himself in front of the window that overlooked the city. "It is beautiful, my world, is it not?"

"How did you get it back?" the Doctor made conversation while 'repairing' the cable wires on the hyperspace relay.

"The Daleks remade it. Like you, they have a strong concept of home."

"No, like you. Everything you are, they are."

"Like both of us, perhaps," Davros amended. "How far we have come to go home again."

"I'm trying to pep this up, but you've been going a long time. Every Dalek on Skaro isn't enough any more," the Doctor plugged the wires into Davros' chair.

"It is so good of you to help me."

"I'm not helping you. I'm helping a little boy I abandoned on a battlefield. I think I owe him a sunrise." The Doctor moved over just as the sun began to rise. "Come on, chin up. Any minute now "

"I have always admired you, Doctor," Davros admitted, apparently. "I wish, just once, we had been on the same side."

"Look, the sun's coming up. We're on the same side now," the Doctor motioned to the window.

"I regret...I cannot open my eyes," Davros _cried_ as his eyes failed to open.

The Doctor looked at the open window then back to his hand. "Okay, don't ever tell anyone that I did this." His hand glowed golden with regenerative energy. "A little bit of regeneration energy. Probably cost me an arm or a leg somewhere down the line. Or I'll just be really little." The Doctor pushed himself up and went back to the hyperspace relay, taking the cables into his hands. "Should be enough, just to-" but Colony Sarff's snakes had grasped his hands and kept him latched on.

"Hold him firm, Colony Sarff. He is precious to us now," Davros have up the game once it was secure.

Regeneration energy was then forcibly extracted from the Doctor who cried out in agony. He was forced to drop on his knees as the energy left his body. "What are you doing!?"

"Regeneration energy. The ancient magic of the Time Lords. I thought I would have to tear you apart to take it from you but, as always, your compassion is your downfall," and as Davros' spoke his voice strengthened. "You have opened your veins of your own free will, and all Daleks shall drink the blood of Gallifrey. They shall rise stronger than ever."

~0~

Minerva was getting ready to follow through with her threats and finally shoot...when all the Daleks stopped still.

"Missy!" Clara cried as she watched all Daleks turn to her.

Liv appeared beside Missy with the deadliest glare possible. "You rotten piece-"

"I'm sorry. Was I, er, was I boring you?" Missy disappointingly stopped the mini-dance she was in the middle of constructing. But then all of the daleks started to billow with regeneration energy.

"What's...happening?" Clara turned from one side to the next seeing all daleks.

"No. No, no, no, no, Doctor. What have you done?" Missy seemed actually upset. "I have to find the Doctor!" and she ran off.

"Missy!" Clara called after the brunette. "Get Minerva out! Get her out!" she whipped her head back to the Dalek in which Minerva was properly sealed inside of.

~0~

"There was a prophecy, Doctor, on your own world…" Davros watched as the Doctor writhed in pain, the cables still ongoing sucking the energy out from him.

"Please you must, you must stop this. You must stop this!"

"It spoke of a hybrid creature. Two great warrior races forced together to create a warrior greater than either. Is that what you ran from, Doctor? Your part in the coming of the hybrid? Half Dalek, half Time Lord?"

The Doctor couldn't bother with his words under the excruciating pain he was in. "Stop!"

Missy burst into the room with a stolen gun and began shooting everything in her way, including Colony Sarff. The Doctor collapsed on the floor, unconscious. Wasting no time, Missy moved to wake him up. She slapped him.

"Morning!"

"Where's Minerva?" the Doctor had raised his head expecting to find his wife there. "And Clara!?"

"Oh, hello to you, too," Missy feigned offence.

"I know she's alive, where is she!?" the Doctor pushed himself up.

" _I'm_ fine, thanks for asking," Missy huffed.

"Oh, you are not fine," Davros' drew them both to him. "Thanks to you, Doctor, my creations shall grow to yet greater supremacy, and my own life is prolonged. This is the final defeat of the Time Lords. Have you nothing to say, Doctor?"

"Three," the Doctor straightened and pulled out his confession dial.

"Do you understand what has happened? Hear my children sing."

"Two."

Missy leaned forwards to catch sight of the Doctor. "Oh, I know that face."

Davros paid no attention. "All praise Davros, creator and saviour of the Daleks."

"One." Just as the Doctor said that word, the entire city shook.

"What is that? What's happening?" Davros demanded.

"I knew exactly what you were doing, and I let you do it," the Doctor revealed. "You transmitted regeneration energy into every Dalek on this planet. Every single one."

"What have you done?"

"One word," the Doctor said but shook his head, correcting himself. "Er, no, two words, actually. First word: moron." Missy snickered. "Second word, sewers," the Doctor pointed down.

"No. This cannot be correct. How can this be?" Davros understood the concept as the floor underneath them crackled.

"Generations of Daleks just woke up very cross, and they are coming up the pipes. Or to put it another way, bye!" and the Doctor ran.

Outside, the city was falling apart as the Daleks from the sewer crawled their way up to the land. Even the walls in the building were suffering the same as live Daleks. The Doctor ran down a corridor, passing a corridor on his left.

"Doctor!" Clara shouted right after his figure zoomed past.

He retracted like a bolt and saw her running down the corridor he'd missed...but with a Dalek behind her. "Clara! Get away!"

Although she was out of breath, Clara tried explaining. "No, Doctor, you gotta listen-"

But the Doctor grasped her arm and yanked her behind him and pointed at the Dalek. "This city is about to be sucked into the ground. Your own sewer is about to consume you. There's no way you can win, there is nothing you can do, so just tell me, where is Minerva Souza?"

"Doctor, listen!" Clara shook his arm so that he would desist. But then she saw Missy coming towards them and grew even more furious. "You left us!" she accused and pushed the brunette backwards then snatched the gun Missy used to save the Doctor. "Minerva should have shot you the moment she could!"

Missy was unaffected.

"I am a Dalek. I am a Dalek!" went the Dalek that so happened to hold a very terrified Minerva inside.

Outside the Doctor was doing no better. He was raging beyond belief. "WHERE IS MY WIFE!?" and he directed that question for the Dalek and Missy.

"It killed her," Missy said so suddenly that Clara had to take a moment to process. Clara could not actually _believe_ the woman was going with that now. "That one right there," she pointed at the Dalek.

Minerva suddenly knew what it was like being on the receiving end of the Doctor's wrath. "I am _here_. I'm here!" her voice shook. "

"Doctor, stop!" Liv finally appeared. "She did it!" she pointed at Missy who rolled her eyes, giving up on her last game now that the blondie was sure to give it up.

"You just couldn't properly die, could you?"

"She had this crazy idea of putting Clara inside a Dalek-"

"What!?" the Doctor turned on Missy.

"But Minerva didn't let her!" Liv finished. "So where do you think Minerva is _now?"_

The Doctor's eyes lowered to the Dalek that stood so still and...nonthreatening. His hearts clanged under his chest. "Open your casing. Just think the word "open". It'll work."

Inside, Minerva forced herself to focus on last time and thought of nothing but getting out of the damn casing. It worked. The front panels shifted to open, revealing her frightened self inside. The Doctor lowered down to her level, meeting her tear-filled eyes.

"Get me out, _please_ ," Minerva begged.

There came a serious, dark tint into the Doctor's eyes as they flickered to Missy. " _Run_ ," he gave the grave warning only once. Then, gently, he reached for Minerva's face to disconnect the electrodes off her skin.

"Never forget what she is, Doctor," Missy said, stepping back. "Because underneath all that pretense of a time traveler, she is always going to be part of the species our people despised. The Moontsays despised us back; just think to what extent will her people go to get rid of Gallifrey now that they have unlocked their regeneration cycle? If you think about it? They're hybrids too. Bit of Time Lord in them, bit of...Snowflake in them…" her hard eyes settled on Minerva.

"I said _run_!" the Doctor's booming voice startled her but she still walked off in a calm manner.

"It wasn't me who ran, Doctor. That was always _you_ ," she parted with those words.

"Can you do it?" Clara leaned with her hands on her knees as the Doctor pulled the electrodes from Minerva's head. "Missy said no one knew if…"

"Just...a second…" the Doctor peeled the last of the electrodes and immediately had Minerva lunging into his arms. She shook with tears and buried her head in the crook of his neck. "It's okay, it's okay," the Doctor cautiously stood them up on their feet. "We need to leave, darling. C'mon," he kissed her hair and took her hand, still waiting for her to give an okay nod before actually leaving.

Minerva cleared her face off with her free hand and ushered them to get a move on. They ran through the quakes and the pieces of ceiling falling. They made it back to the main room where the remaining Daleks were losing it.

"Where was the Tardis?" the Doctor asked, stopping for a bit."

"O-over there," Minerva pointed ahead.

"It was over there, somewhere, wasn't it?"

"What is happening? Explain! Explain!" Dalek Supreme ordered from the dais, in out of control.

"Dalek Supreme, your sewers are revolting!" the Doctor brought Minerva and Clara to the spot where the TARDIS had been.

"You will assist, or you will be exterminated!"

"Oh, well, go on, then. Exterminate away!" the Doctor awaited anxiously.

Clara whipped her head in his direction. "Doctor!"

The Daleks fired away but the bolts were reflected by an invisible barrier.

"Oops, sorry. Tardis force field is still here. We get in, you don't," the Doctor smirked.

"The Tardis has been destroyed."

"Ah, don't be silly, of course it hasn't. It just redistributed itself for a moment. Hostile Action Dispersal System. I'll give it a quick blast from my sonic, and the real time envelope will reassemble right here."

"Where the hell is your sonic?" Minerva pulled on his hand.

"I'm over screwdrivers, darling," the Doctor let go of her hand to pull out his sunglasses. "They spoil the line of your jacket. These days, I'm all about wearable technology."

Minerva's eyebrow rose in disbelief. "You're serious?" The Doctor put on his new sonic sunglasses and smirked.

"What is happening?" Dalek Supreme inquired.

"Oh, same old, same old," the Doctor flicked something from his sonic sunglasses, presumably to activate it. "Just the Doctor and Minerva in the Tardis...and the family."

Clara didn't know whether to laugh or smack him for that. "Get us out!" she settled for instead.

Obediently, the Doctor brought the TARDIS around them, keeping them safe and sound once and for all.

~0~

Back where Minerva, Clara and Missy started stood the TARDIS and the trio watching the last bits of Skaro fall.

"So then...that's that?" Clara turned away from the city, for the TARDIS. "I don't want to stay another minute here."

"Ditto," Liv followed behind.

Minerva hummed in agreement and turned for the TARDIS as well. "I don't ever want to see that confession dial again." She stopped in front of the threshold and faced the Doctor. "Ever."

"You don't want to know what was in it?" the Doctor blinked.

"No, I know everything about you already," Minerva rested her hands on his chest. "And what I don't is okay. We're complicated people, aren't we?"

The Doctor nodded. "Yes. We are."

"What I don't understand is why you wouldn't come to me after...what happened." He hung his head in shame. "It couldn't have been easy, I imagine," Minerva gently raised his view again. "But I could have helped."

"Yeah," he whispered. "But I couldn't. I couldn't face you, I couldn't...face Elias. I-I still can't."

"So what do you think you need to do?" Minerva asked, a small knowing smile struggling not to be visible on her face. The Doctor knew but he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud for fear of her reaction. When Minerva got the jist she acted. She gave him a short kids on the lips and patted him on the chest. "You should go. Elias is having his party and I don't think he's going to accept a second postponement."

"Wh-what?" the Doctor didn't understand at first.

"The Doctor never leaves a child in need. No matter who it is."

"Thank you," the Doctor started to smile. Minerva nodded and was soon under a set of small kisses.

~0~

Hours later, Minerva - dressed in a royal silver gown - overlooked various four year olds running about in the palace's garden (which was really just an iced ground with snow covered and iced trees). She heard a flash behind her and turned to see her eldest child, River Song with Clara.

"I got it!" Clara exclaimed happily and waved a blue present in her hand. "Elias is going to love it!"

"My little brother turned out to be just as picky as the Doctor so I wouldn't hold my breath," River warned while de-activating her vortex manipulator for the time being. Elias also proved to be just as curious as their mother and tended to play with the manipulator if he got the chance.

"Shush," Clara promptly said and walked towards Minerva. "So, where is he, then?"

"I assume he's the only kid trying to climb up the gated fence," River pointed past them.

"What!?" Minerva whirled around to find her son currently trying to climb up a wall that led to the streets. "ELIAS!"

"I got him," River laughed and hurried to get her baby brother.

"So, where's the Doctor?" Clara looked around for the Time Lord, for a moment thinking he would be in the middle of showing off for the kids.

"Um…" Minerva was just about to explain when they heard the TARDIS materializing from a distance. "There you go."

Clara smiled and then saw Elias coming towards them.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Elias had a bright red face from his exertion. "Did you see me!? I was climbing and-and-"

"You shouldn't be climbing anything, El," Minerva crossed her arms.

"But someone said I couldn't do it-" Elias tried to explain but of course Minerva didn't care who had dared him to.

"You could hurt yourself, honey," she bent down in front of him. "And then Mommy would be very sad."

"I'm sorry, Mommy," Elias pouted for the briefest of seconds until he spotted Clara holding her present. "My present!?" he excitedly rushed up to her. "Is that for me, Ca-yah?"

"Yes it is," Clara proudly said, about to hand it over to him when the Doctor finally showed up.

"There you are," Minerva greeted him with a chaste kiss. "On time too."

Elias met his father's face with a small, irritated frown. "Daddy missed my birthday," he accused.

The Doctor knew he should definitely get scolded by his son. "I am very sorry, Elias. Daddy got caught up in bad things…" he moved up to the boy and bent down in front of Elias.

"I was sad," Elias informed, putting one hand on his arm. "I thought you didn't want to come."

The Doctor smiled at his innocence. "Daddy would never do that to you. And I promise that I will never miss anymore of your birthdays. Not _one_."

"Okay, I trust you," Elias declared. He only surprised Clara behind the parents because he was so young and still smart enough to understand the concept of 'trust'. It reminded her that he truly was something else and not just some regular four year old.

The Doctor took his son into a tight hug, relishing to be back where the boy was and with Minerva. "Elias, I have a present for you," the Doctor announced, making the boy gasp excitedly all over again.

"What?" Clara was the only one disappointed. Liv laughed beside her. "But I thought we were going to open _my_ present first."

"Take turns Ca-yah," Elias held a hand for her to keep quiet.

Clara huffed.

"What's my present, Daddy!? What is it!? What is it!?" Elias hopped up and down as the Doctor reached inside his coat, even Minerva was fairly interested to see what the Doctor had whipped out in such a short time.

Eventually, the Doctor took out a small little gray box in the shape of a rectangle. "Now Daddy no longer uses his sonic screwdriver, but he thought someone in the family should."

Minerva's eyes widened, not in alarm but in HORRO horror. "You didn't…"

Elias ripped off the lid of the box and gasped deeply at the sight of a small silver sonic screwdriver tucked inside. "My own sonic!"

"Doctor!" Minerva exclaimed, mouth open in disbelief.

The Doctor laughed as Elias waved the sonic above his head, making its tip flash green much like his old one used to. "You like it?"

Elias nodded his head. "Yes! Thank you!" he kissed the Doctor's cheek and hugged him tight then ran off to go show his friends his new present.

"I cannot believe you just did that," Liv was close to laughing.

"Me neither," Minerva crossed her arms, completely against the idea. "He's _four_!"

"Oh calm down, Clever Girl," the Doctor came up to her, smirking. "It only has one function and it's to light up. It's a flashlight at best."

"You promise?" Minerva raised a suspicious eyebrow. She wouldn't put it behind him to add a secret feature that only he and Elias would know about.

"I promise," the Doctor raised a hand.

"Could have given him that _after_ my present," Clara disappointedly walked off with her present in hand, missing the laughs of her friends behind.

Before they could follow, Minerva grabbed onto the Doctor's arm, forcing him to turn to her. "I've just got one more question, Martian."

"I owe you so much, so...go ahead!"

A sly smile wormed its way across Minerva's lips. "When did you start actually being _good_ at the guitar?" the Doctor started to think while Minerva went on to remind them, "Last time you played, it wasn't anything like that."

"To be fair last time I played I was an idiot with floppy hair," the Doctor countered.

Minerva laughed and grabbed him by the lapels. "C'mon, tell me! Did you figure it out while playing it for some pretty medieval woman out there?"

"Hardly," the Doctor playfully rolled his eyes. "It just... _happened_."

"Hmmm..." Minerva looked away for a moment. "While you were away...resigning to die...on your own...without me nor your son."

"I'm sorry," the Doctor knew this would be the beginning of a long term apology. "I thought it was better this way, and...less shameful. But-" he placed a finger on her lips so that she wouldn't interrupt, "-I can make sure to apologize profusely about it in many ways."

Minerva raised her head, thinking about it. "Well, you can start by..." she met his gaze with a giddy smile, "...playing me a song later."

"Darling for you I'd play a thousand songs if you asked," the Doctor promised and muffled her laugh with a kiss...or two...

* * *

 **Author's Note:** So that begins the whole hybrid arc! It was such an interesting one honestly, so I hope it comes out good for this story! :)

 **For the Review:**

Okay, let me just start off by reminding you that in this story, during the war, the Master murdered Minerva in cold blood. For that reason, there cannot be a friendship between the Master & the Doctor like the show has portrayed. It's just not possible, I'm sorry. At best, there will be witty remarks and sarcasm like shown so far. And second of all, I sort of view the confession dial as being originally intended for the Master but now with everything the Doctor changed it so that it would land in Minerva's hands instead. Clearly, Missy wasn't in the know of that change since she's been gone for such a long time. So that's why she was mad when she met with Minerva and saw Minerva had the confession dial. So sorry but that's just the way this story was constructed!


	3. Deep Under the Lake

The TARDIS materialized itself inside a lonesome room. Th Doctor stepped out, a bit concerned after noticing the rather tensed landing the box had done. He came out and gently put a hand on the box, trying to get a feeling of the problem. "What's wrong? You're not happy. Why aren't you happy? Tell me."

"Come on!" Elias poked his head out from the doorway, clearly excited.

Above him, Clara did the same thing, with the same excitement written across her face. "We're so on a roll!"

"More running, Daddy! More!" Elias urgently said, making Clara laugh above him.

Minerva walked out of the box, playfully rolling her eyes. "Settle down, children."

"Children?" went both Elias and Clara, sharing the same incredulity.

"You're not making a case here, Clara," Liv appeared Minerva.

"And excuse me for calling my four year old baby a 'child'," Minerva bent down in front of Elias. "Was that a wrong label?"

Elias made a face. "I'm big!"

"Mhm, sure. Talk to me when you don't need Mommy to help you out of that monstrous little sweater," Minerva tugged on his zipperless, green sweater's sleeves, pulling a little smile from Elias in the end.

"Oh, hey-" Clara stepped out from the TARDIS completely, her hands patting her dress' pockets, "-can we go back to that place where the people with the long necks have been celebrating New Year for two centuries? I left my sunglasses there. And most of my dignity."

"I hid them," Elias corrected with cheeky smile.

"Elias!"

"Ca-yah!" Elias mimicked her scold, making Clara groan and Liv laugh.

"Settle down children," Minerva found herself repeating again. She straightened up and turned to the Doctor who was still trying to figure out what was wrong with their TARDIS. "Dear, where exactly did she bring us to?"

"Underwater. Some sort of a base," the Doctor turned away from the box, dejectedly. "The technology's twenty second century. Maybe military, maybe scientific."

Liv looked around the solitary place, noticing some chairs were turned over. "Is there a crew?"

"Must be," Minerva settled her hands on her hips as she took another scan of the area, "If there's oxygen."

"I want another adventure," Clara declared when she saw them walking down the corridor.

"Oooo! Me too!" Elias loved when his parents took him away from Monsoon to have adventures, and with Clara and Liv too!

"Yeah, see, Elias feels the same," Clara came up beside the Doctor with a hopeful smile. "You're itching to save a planet, I know it."

"Noooo, my husband, the Doctor?" Minerva sarcastically gasped. "What would ever make you say that?"

Elias tugged on the Doctor's arm, making him look down. "Mommy's making fun of you, isn't she?"

"Yes, I think she is," the Doctor gave a brief look at Minerva.

"What ever shall you do with me?" came the smirkful question.

The Doctor just raised his eyebrows with a smirk back. ' _I got a couple ideas I'll be sure to share with you later, darling.'_

Minerva laughed out loud.

"What's funny, Mommy?" Elias looked between his parents with curious eyes like his mother would have.

"Nothing, El. C'mon, there's a room over here," Minerva had quickly looked for a decent answer and thanked the gods for seeing a large room at the end of the corridor.

Liv was already inside when the group entered. She was staring a big mural of a dragon-like creature threatening a group of men on a boat. "Humans, I would assume by this painting," she informed the others.

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" Elias began to hop, pulling both his hands from his parents and ran over to an overturned chair on the floor. "Oooooo, someone had a fight," he turned to his parents with widened eyes. "Can I have a food fight?"

"Food fight?" Minerva and the Doctor repeated, confused.

But then Elias' excitement fell and was exchanged by a small gasp and him covering his eyes. He was scared.

"El," Liv appeared in front of him. "What is it?"

"Uh...I think he means because of that," Clara had seen where his gazing ended up. Both Minerva and the Doctor turned to find a knife stuck on the wall.

"Well, looks like you've got your wish, Clara," Minerva said and went back to Elias to comfort him while the Doctor walked up to the knife on the wall.

"Food fight doesn't seem it anymore…" Clara shook her head.

"Whatever it was, it happened pretty recently," the Doctor passed a table with a cup of what he assumed to be tea. He dipped his finger into. "Seven or eight hours ago. No bodies, though."

"And they took provisions," Clara and Liv noted, exchanging prideful smiles afterwards.

"Okay," Minerva bobbed her head while she thought of a plausible reason for all the mess they were seeing, "So something or someone forced the crew to abandon the base..."

"A swim?" Elias wanted to contribute to the 'thinking part'.

Minerva smiled, shaking her head. "Afraid not."

"There's a creepy flooded village outside," Liv crinkled her nose after checking the environment from a window.

"Oh, yeah. You see, this is more like it," Clara raised a hand for a high five but no one was interested...except…

"Me! Me!" Elias rushed up to her, hopping with a hand raised. "High-five, Ca-yah! C'mon!"

Clara lowered her hand and allowed the boy to clap his hand against hers. "Well, I'm glad Elias didn't leave me hanging."

Minerva smirked. "I haven't done high fives since I was a human."

"And even then she was snooty about them," the Doctor passively remarked on his way out of the room. Minerva gaped and went after him with a very sharp 'excuse me?'.

Elias put a hand over his mouth and let a giggle out. "Daddy's in trouble."

"When isn't he?" Liv rolled her eyes and disappeared. Clara took Elias' hand and the two walked out to follow the others.

They walked for a couple minutes in silence, searching for amy life signs. Fortunately, they believed, they spotted two men at a distance, bent down with their backs to the group.

"Ah, a crew," Minerva smiled.

"Hello, sailors!" the Doctor called to them.

"No, please don't do that," Minerva made a face of distaste beside him.

The figures stood up and turned around. The group was taken aback by the fact that the two figures, two men, had dark holes where their eyes were meant to be. However, they didn't notice right away that their lips were moving.

"Right, I did not expect that," the Doctor breathed in. "Hands up who expected that."

Clara gasped when the two men started for them. Even Elias moved to hide between his parents.

"Wait, wait," Minerva said, eyes intently watching the men. "I don't think they're going to hurt us. I think that they're just curious."

"What are they?" Liv tilted her head after appearing behind the two men.

The two men, one of which seemed to have familiar alien features, stopped in front of the three adults. Elias made a small whine of fear and hid his face on the Doctor's pant leg.

"Look at you lovely chaps. What's happened to you, then?" the Doctor was quite fascinated with them, and frankly a not disappointed when they turned away from them. "Oh, c'mon!"

"Um, dear, I think they want us to follow,' Minerva concluded.

"And you're sure that's a good idea?" Liv raised her eyebrows but of course the only answer she got was Minerva smiling cheekily.

"But what are they?" Clara whispered as they started following.

"I haven't a clue. Isn't that exciting?" the Doctor replied, honestly giddy.

They were lead in a white room full of machinery and with one great spaceship standing on a dais.

"Where did they go?" Clara was confused when they walked into the room and saw no more freaky men.

"And what is that?" Liv pointed a finger at the spaceship.

"Spaceship!" Elias cheered and made a run for it when Minerva snatched him from behind.

"I think not, mister!"

Elias fussed as he saw his father and Clara walking past them to get into the spaceship. "Mommy! I want to get in! I want to see! C'mon!"

Minerva ignored his pleads and watched as the Doctor and Clara took a look inside the spaceship. "So, what's in there?"

The Doctor stopped by a wall where he saw several symbols carved into the wall. Clara picked up a flashlight and shined it on the wall to see herself. his hand over the rectangular object and sees the symbols on the wall.

"Why hasn't the TARDIS translated it?" Liv inquired from behind.

"What? What is it?" Minerva grew impatient. "Clara!"

At her name call, the brunette handed the flashlight to the Doctor and came down the steps from the ship. "Babysitter duty again?"

"I'm not a baby!" Elias said, incredibly offended while his mother just passed him on like he was still a baby who couldn't walk.

"Oh poor you," Clara mocked the boy and laughed.

Minerva came up the stairs and stopped beside the Doctor to see what exactly was on the wall. "Oh, Liv had a point. Why _isn't_ it being translated?"

At a hiss, Clara turned around and saw that the two mysterious men were back."Hey, look, they're back!"

"Hello!" the Doctor turned to greet them. "Did you want to show us this? It's very nice."

"Except for the 'we can't read it' part," Minerva added in a low mumble.

Liv squinted her eyes to focus on them. "Wait, are they saying something?"

But one of the men picked up a fire axe from the wall, letting it clang onto the floor since it appeared to be too heavy to carry completely.

"Okay, they now appear to be arming themselves," Clara breathed.

"Ca-yah, step back!" Elias commanded in her arms. Clara didn't need to be told twice.

The Doctor grabbed Minerva by the hand and quickly came out of the spaceship. Minerva watched the second man grab a harpoon gun.

"I would put that down if I were you!" she called to them. "I don't allow guns near my son!"

"Water pistol?" Elias asked, confused as he did have those.

"That's a toy," Minerva rolled her eyes. "And it shoots _water_."

"Guys…" Clara's voice drawled as the man began to sing the axe. She yelped and ducked away when he brought it over, just narrowly missing her.

"Yay! Run!" Elias cheered over her shoulder.

"Only you!" Clara shot him a mini-glare.

"GUYS!" Liv shouted when the second man fired the harpoon gun.

The group did another duck then ran out of the room. Elias laughed as he was bobbed in Clara's arms, clearly enjoying the ride after all.

"Oh my God you are unbelievable!" Clara put him down the moment they found a hiding place in the corridor.

Minerva snorted beside her, taking one of Elias' hands into hers. "You're one to talk. Weren't you the one laughing away while the Mary, Queen of Scots, nearly had us beheaded last week?"

"Hey!" Clara pointed at her. "That was different."

"Yes, because you are 29 and my boy is _four_!"

Before Clara could refute that, a translucient hand stuck out from the wall, making her gasp and jump away.

"GHOST!" Elias laughed even more.

One of the men emerged from the wall indeed like a proper ghost and made the group retreat.

"Run!" Liv appeared only to give that instruction.

The group ran down the corridor again, but not before seeing the second man rising through the floor like another ghost.

"Mommy, it's like Casper!" Elias cheerfully made the comparison he thought was correct.

"Nothing like Casper, El!"

Suddenly, a door at the end of the corridor they were in opened up, revealing a group inside the small room.

"In here!" called a brunette woman in a cap. "Quick!"

Without questioning, the group ran straight in. The Doctor turned around and saw the ghost coming to peek at them through the round window on the door. "What are you?" he was beguiled to see that the 'ghosts' were not coming through.

"Who the hell are you, and what are you doing here?" one of the men in the group demanded straight away.

Minerva cleared her throat for the Doctor to turn around and get the introductions out of the way.

The Doctor whipped around with the psychic paper in hand. "This is Minerva, our son Elias, and that's Clara over there. Oh, and I'm the Doctor."

The man's eyes widened after reading the psychic paper. "You're from UNIT."

"Well, if that's what it says," the Doctor shrugged.

"I'm Pritchard, this is Bennett," Pritchard gestured to the man in glasses beside him.

The woman in the cap stepped up, rather excitedly, to greet them. "O'Donnell! Are you really the Doctor? I'm a huge fan!"

"Oh please don't feed his ego," Minerva sighed.

"Tim Lunn, I sign for Cass," the last man, the youngest, spoke up and then gestured to a light-haired woman beside him, all in the meanwhile of doing sign-language translation for her.

"I know that!" Elias cheered for himself when he recognized the hand movements. "Ca-yah taught me that!"

Clara smiled awkwardly when they all looked at her for a moment. She was so touched when Minerva and the Doctor asked her if she would like to take part in Elias' education by becoming his teacher of...humanity. At first, Clara wasn't sure if she was up for the job. She was, after all, only an English teacher and a teacher for late childhood. But they persuaded her by pointing out that she'd seem things first-hand about Earth and that she was one of Earth's best representatives. There could be no one better than her for the job. Besides, she and Elias got along fine despite their initial rocky relationship. Elias loved to mess with Clara but as he was growing it lessened and turned more into a sister-brother bond.

"Right, tell me, what about those things out there?" the Doctor inquired from the group. "What are they? Why are they trying to kill us?"

"Well, they're er, they're ghosts," Bennett replied, although his face betrayed the convincing stance the group was trying to give.

"Like Casper?" Elias looked from his mother to his father again.

"No Elias, there's no such thing as ghosts," the Doctor gave him a stern point.

"I resent that," Liv appeared to the entire room, causing further suspicions from the crew.

"It's okay, she's not...a ghost, exactly…" Clara finished weak on her explanation.

"She's my landline," Liv jerked a thumb in Clara's direction. "But please...do keep giving me all those...looks…" because everyone was indeed still staring at her oddly.

"The ghosts, if we could, please," Minerva made a gesture with her hand for some explanations to be thrown.

"They're not gh-"

"Shh," she pointed at the Doctor.

"Cass is saying-" Lunn had begun as Cass signed when the Doctor cut in.

"Thank you, but I actually don't need your help. I can speak sign," he signed as he spoke after. "Go ahead."

"Dear, that's not actually tr-" Minerva then received a hand for her to stop. She crossed her arms and leaned on her hip, just waiting for the Doctor to remember.

Cass began to sign her response for the Doctor until the man shook his head and looked back at Lunn. "No, no, actually, I can't."

"You deleted it for semaphore," Minerva's sharp voice made him wince. "That's what I was trying to tell you, Martian."

"Sorry darling."

"Mhm."

Lunn took over as translator again. "One of the ghosts is our previous commanding officer. The other, um moley guy, we don't know what he is."

"He's from the planet Tivoli," the Doctor corrected.

"See?" Bennett cast a look at his crew. "I told you he was an alien. Didn't I say that?"

"Yes, but the weird part is that this specific species is not violent," Minerva revealed, quite puzzled like the Doctor. "They're too cowardly. I mean, Elias could probably enslave them all now."

"What's enslave?" Elias curiously looked up.

"Something we will be covering next week," Clara promised him.

"When did they first appear?" the Doctor asked the crew.

"Oh, did you see that spaceship in the hangar? Yeah, we found that on the lake bed and we'd just got it on board and one of the engines started up and then Moran got…" O'Donnell took a pause, her cheeriness fading, "...Moran was killed."

Cass began to sign and so Lunn spoke for her. "Then they appeared and pretty much straight away started trying to kill us. So we grabbed what we could and we were looking for somewhere to hide, and that's when we realised the ghosts couldn't come in here."

"What is this place?" Liv and Clara asked as they both examined the small room.

"It's a Faraday cage," the Doctor replied. "Completely impenetrable to radio waves, and apparently, whatever those things are out there. So, who's in charge now? I need to know who to ignore."

Cass' eyebrows furrowed, clearly offended.

"That would be me," Lunn said for her. "Her," he pointed at Cass.

"Actually-" Pritchard stepped forwards holding out a small business card for the Doctor, "-that would be me. I represent Vector Petroleum. We've obtained the mining rights to the oil."

"Oil?" Minerva took the card from the Doctor to give it a brief look over. "Where are we, exactly?"

"This used to be a military training site. There was a dam overlooking it, but the dam burst and the valley was submerged," Bennett explained for them.

"Then twenty years ago, we discovered a massive oil reservoir underneath it," Pritchard finished.

' _Good morning_ ,' a computer voice echoed in the room. ' _Entering day mode_.'

"Good morning," Elias waved up to the ceiling as everything around them brightened up with new lights.

"Okay, it's morning. We can go outside now," O'Donnell clapped her hands together and headed for the door.

"Thank God for that," Lunn sighed.

"At last, we can get out of here," Pritchard said, relieved.

"Morning?" Clara made a face and looked out at the corridor that was far brighter than earlier.

"Yeah, we're too far below the surface for daylight, so we have to demarcate artificial days and nights," Bennett pulled a towel from a hook.

"I'd like to have a further look at that spaceship, but what about those things that aren't ghosts?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, it's all right. They only come out at night," O'Donnell opened up the door for them.

"Weird how that is _not_ comforting," Clara mumbled as they followed out.

~ 0 ~

The group had relocated to the main hangar, where the spaceship was located.

"If whatever they are-"

"They're ghosts," Pritchard told the Doctor but the man refused to believe it.

"They're not ghosts. Have been trying to kill you, why haven't you abandoned the base?"

"That was my call," Pritchard raised a finger. "We've got about a trillion dollars worth of mining equipment here. We're not just going to abandon it…" he paused for a moment when the group of travelers stared. "What? If it all goes pear-shaped, it's not them that lose a bonus."

"Yes, you seem like the type…" Minerva said slowly, looking the man up and down.

"I'm sorry, type of what?"

"The type to value money over people's lives because you are in fact...an idiot," Minerva finished with a straight face, which made it all the more funny to the rest.

The Doctor cleared his throat, awkward for the poor human man who obviously stood no chance against his clever wife. "Why is there a Faraday cage on the base?"

"It's the mining equipment," Bennett replied. "It runs on nuclear fission. The Faraday cage has been lined with lead to act as a shelter in the event of a radiation leak."

"So, we are fighting an unknown homicidal force that has taken the form of your commanding officer and a cowardly alien, underwater, in a nuclear reactor. Anything else I should know?" the Doctor headed back for the spaceship. "Someone got a peanut allergy, or something?"

"Pears, Daddy, remember?" Elias crinkled his nose as he reminded of his allergy.

"That's okay, I'm allergic to those too," the Doctor smiled.

"No, you're not," Minerva corrected, slightly smiling herself. "You just hate them and got lucky with Elias."

"No idea what you mean," the Doctor hummed as he got to looking at the wall of the spaceship with the funny symbols. "Now then, it all started with this ship. This is where the answer will be." He started taking a walk around and spotted a small compartment on the floor. He bent down and pulled its lid to reveal a resemblance of a battery. There was a black, cylindrical object inside but there seemed to be a second one missing. "What's happened to the stuff you've removed? This is for long-haul flights. There should be a suspended-animation chamber for the pilot right here. Plus, one of the power cells is missing."

"Power cell?" Pritchard raised an eyebrow, curious of the whereabouts of the object.

"Don't trip," called Minerva when the man made a bolt for the ship. "Wouldn't want to lose our money man."

"You can see the casing is empty," the Doctor gestured to the empty space in the compartment, witholding a smirk from his wife's comment. There was definitely no more filter on her anymore.

"It's not safe out HERE here!" Lunn's voice carried over, making everyone see he and Cass were having a disagreement.

"What's the matter?" Clara asked.

"She won't let me look inside the spaceship. She says it's not safe. I'm saying it's not safe out here!"

"Well, if you'll be outside, hold my son's hand while I go take a looksie," Minerva walked Elias over, forcing the boy to take Lunn's hand. "And pity the both of you if either of you let's go."

With that, she left them and walked for the spaceship. The others were crowding around the Doctor who was still bent over the compartment on the floor.

"I imagine they're pretty valuable," Pritchard remarked.

"What?" the Doctor looked up at the man's almost hungry face.

"I mean powerful. Those power cells. I imagine they're pretty powerful."

"Oh please, don't bother to mask your greediness," Minerva rolled her eyes, giving a disapproving look afterwards. "Not like there's more important things to think about."

"They can zap a vessel from one side of the galaxy to the other, so, you know, take a wild stab in the dark," the Doctor added afterwards, straightening on his feet.

"And the missing one must still be out there…" Pritchard made a nod to the side to indicate 'outside'.

"Yes, well, otherwise - sorry, why is this man still talking to me?" the Doctor looked around, genuinely lost. Minerva gave a shrug.

"We haven't removed anything," O'Donnell informed him. "There hasn't been time."

The group then started coming back out with the Doctor in lead. "So what have we got? Moran dies, and then those things appear. They can walk through walls. They only come out at night and they're sort of see-through."

Liv smirked, appearing just as the Doctor passed her by. "Am I hearing the beginning of a beautiful apology?"

"They're ghosts!" the Doctor pointed at her, Liv gasping for dramatic effect.

"Like Casper!" Elias ran up to them and stopped beside Clara. "Can we watch the movie again?" he asked her.

"If we make it out we can watch anything you want," Clara patted his head.

~ 0 ~

Moving to the main control room, the Doctor had all of the equipment he would need at his disposable.

"You said there was no such thing as ghosts yet here we are," Liv proudly said after they regrouped again.

"So you're...you're a proper ghost, then?" O'Donnell pointed at her.

"Echo would be the proper term but I suppose so," Liv shrugged. "Which is why I wish someone-" she shot the Doctor a hard look, "-would stop trying to debunk that idea."

"You are an abnormality, Olivia!"

Minerva smacked the Doctor upside the head. "Don't you call my sister an abnormality!"

"You know I meant that in the nicest way possible," the Doctor rubbed the back of his head. "I meant that these people are literally dead. No echoes of them anywhere. They're not holograms, they're not Flesh Avatars, they're not Autons, they're not digital copies bouncing around the Nethersphere. No, these people are literally, actually, _dead_. Wow. This is, it's amazing! I've never actually met a proper ghost!"

Cass glowered at the man and did some signing.

"Moran was our friend," Lunn translated for her, although his hurt voice indicated it wasn't just a thought of Cass'.

"Ca-yah," Elias tugged on Clara's hand and made her bent down for him to whisper. "Is it time for the cards?"

"Cards?" Minerva raised her eyebrows. "What cards?"

Clara smirked. "Elias and I had a lesson about human manners last week. We had an assignment based on a visual," her eyes flickered to the Doctor and her smirk widened. She pulled out a series of flashcards from her jacket's pocket and handed them to Minerva.

"I helped write some!" Elias excitedly informed his parents.

Minerva could easily identify the squiggling letters Elias had made in some of the cards and smiled. "Oh now these are some keepers."

There were various lines on each of the cards, going from ' _I completely understand why it was difficult not to get captured_ ' to ' _I didn't mean to imply that I don't care._ '

"What?" the Doctor frowned at them all.

"Ah, here we are," Minerva plucked out the correct flashcard for the situation and held it for the Doctor to take.

The Doctor stared in disbelief.

"Take it Daddy, it's to help," Elias anxiously awaited for the Doctor to take the card from Minerva.

Minerva smirked, knowing that of course the Doctor wasn't about to shoot down Elias' work when the boy was clearly so set on it being used on grounds of being 'helpful'. He snatched the card from Minerva and turned to the awaiting crew. He released a small breath and read the card. "I'm very sorry for your loss. I'll do all I can to solve the death of your friend slash family member slash pet."

"We helped!" Elias declared proudly.

"No more lessons with Clara," the Doctor hissed as he handed the flashcard to Minerva again.

Both Clara and Liv struggled not to laugh, but feeling each other's emotions was not making it easy.

"But don't you see what this means?" the Doctor addressed the crew again. "Death! It was the one thing that unified every single living creature in the universe, and now it's gone. How can you just sit there? Don't you want to go out there right now, wrestle them to the ground and ask them questions until your throat falls out? What's death like? Does it hurt? Do you still get hungry? Do you miss being alive? Why can you only handle metal objects? Oh-" he paused, "-I didn't know I'd noticed that. Okay, so they'll try to kill you, blah, blah, blah. What does that matter? You come back. A bit murder-y, sure, but even so!"

"Calm down, Doctor, calm," Minerva rubbed his back. "You were like this when you met Shirley Bassey, you know. Bit jealous, actually."

The Doctor settled that with a kiss on the cheek. "Okay. Question one. What is a ghost? Question two. What do they want?"

And just then, the lights went out. ' _Good evening. Entering night mode_.'

"That's not right," O'Donnell rushed for the computers. "We're switching back into night mode again. This can't happen! No, no, no!"

They then began to hear the cloister bells ringing.

"Er, what's doing that?" Bennett looked at the others, sure that the sound was a new one.

"Doctor?" Clara noticed the man going stiff.

"The Tardis Cloister Bell!" Minerva told them and they hurried out with Elias. Clara ran after and Liv disappeared.

By the time they made it to the TARDIS they found the console bathed in a red glow with series of smoke billowing out in different compartments of the room.

"Roger!" Elias ran straight for his forgotten teddy bear on the console chair.

"Doctor, Minerva, what's wrong?" Clara pulled her jacket off and draped it over a railing.

"It must be the ghosts," Minerva remarked. "Probably why she was upset when we got here."

"Why?" Liv made a face after appearing.

"It's just what I was saying. You live and you die. That's it. The ghosts are aberrations," the Doctor explained. "A splinter of time in the skin. They're unnatural. She wants to get away from them."

"Oh, well, mind me and my offended face!" Liv called loudly.

"Not you, I said you were an echo," the Doctor shook his head. "With a foot in the world of the living. You're not the same."

"Yet somehow I still feel offended."

"So, what do we do?" Clara adamantly awaited for an answer.

Minerva turned a handle on the console and stopped the toiling of the cloister bell. "What the Doctor hardly ever does: put the handbrake on."

"Good!" Clara clapped her hands together, the excitement quickly making its way back to her face. She turned around and rushed for the doors.

"Uh, excuse you," Minerva's sharp call made Clara stop and turn back. "Where do you think you're going?"

Clara's lips stretched into a wide smile. "Out there, where the action is."

"Me too!" Elias, now holding his teddy bear, ran to where Clara stood.

"Oh, this is our own fault," the Doctor came up beside Minerva, the latter crossing her arms. "I like adventures as much as the next man. If the next man is a man who likes adventures. Even so, don't, don't go native."

Clara's smile turned into a confused one. "What do you mean? I'm not."

"Clara, sometimes we get the feeling you're not...entirely conscious anymore when you get into these adventures," Minerva tried to put it as kindly as possible. "I mean...you're just as blind as Elias is at times; running into danger."

"Do you know what you need? You need a hobby," the Doctor pointed, but Clara laughed.

"I really don't."

"Or maybe finding another relationship," Minerva added with thought. "To clear your head from so much of...this…" she gave a wave of hand to signal the room.

"You guys, I'm fine," Clara promised them, although part of her was a bit offended they had compared her to a four year old.

"We just...felt that we needed to say something," the Doctor admitted.

"I know. And I appreciated it."

"Because we've got a duty of care," Minerva said. "We've seen this sort of thing before. Our friend, Amy, in the beginning...she was...dazzled...and...a bit wreckless."

"I'm _not_ reckless," Clara frowned, now a bit irritated.

"No that's not what I meant. We're just concerned that you may get there in the end...and unlike Elias...you don't exactly get to regenerate," Minerva felt awful picturing her son regenerating but she felt it was the only way to get their point across. They didn't know if Clara getting so blind was because they were once again picking up travelling and she was compensating for the gap...or if it was because they were aiding her to become like it.

"Okay, I really don't need to be compared to Elias who is _four_ years old," Clara raised her hands. "Liv?"

"Coming," Liv walked by, shooting some apologetic smiles at Minerva and the Doctor on her way.

With a sigh, the two adult aliens followed out with their son between them.

~ 0 ~

In the mess hall, Clara, Bennett and Elias were busy grabbing food for their unexpected fallback to the faraday cage. They could hear to O'Donnell's voice over the speakerphone asking for Pritchard to report himself after a long while of no contact.

"I'd love to work for UNIT, Earth's first line of defence, and all," Bennett admitted to Clara as they dug through the miniature fridges. "I'm probably not suited, though. Not much of a fighter. More of a bleeder."

"I got a scar from fighting," Elias reported, slightly proud of himself as he showcased his left arm to the man.

Clara rolled her eyes beside the boy. "Uh, _no_ you did not. You tripped. On a brick, I should add."

Elias stomped his foot and whipped his head at her. "Ca-yah!" he whined. He was trying to sound cool and there she was ruining it.

Liv appeared, playfully rolling her eyes at the two. She happened to look back and saw Pritchard standing across them, with his back to them. "Clara, Pritchard's here."

Clara, Bennett and Elias looked over to see the man.

"Pritchard! Where you have you been?" Clara called. "Everyone's been looking for you. What's with the wet suit?" she noted the odd suit the man wore. Well, it couldn've be worse than those ugly bright, orange spacesuits the Doctor still had lying about inside the TARDIS.

"Yeah, where have you been?" Bennett wondered the same and moved over to the comm. "O'Donnell, it's okay. Pritchard's in here!"

"Pritchard, you moron," snapped the woman over the speakers. "Grab your stuff, we're locking down early. In case I can't get this back into day mode."

"Ca-yah, why isn't he moving?" Elias asked after Pritchard remained completely still, not even making a noise.

Something then bumped against the window in the room. Liv popped over to get a closer look and gasped in horror to see Pritchard's corpse floating outside. "It's Pritchard!"

"If that's…?" Clara slowly looked back at the figure standing INSIDE inside the room. It was Pritchard's 'ghost' of course, with black eye sockets, who was now there.

Liv disappeared to get the others.

"It's another ghost!" Elias clapped a small hand over his mouth. "Run?"

The ghost looked about in the room while the others tried inching their way to the doors. Just as it picked up a chair off the floor, the others ran into the room. Liv then reappeared.

"Elias!" Minerva quickly motioned for her son to come to her.

Elias scurred alongside the wall, clutching his teddy bear, until he made it to his parents. "It's another ghost!" he excitedly reported.

The lights turned back on and forced the ghost away, leaving only the chair he was using to fall on the floor.

' _Good morning. Entering day mode_ ,' the computer announced.

"Daddy, I saw another ghost!" Elias said as if no one but him had seen the newest of ghosts in the room. "You want me to tell you about it?"

The Doctor rubbed his forehead, for once not so keen on having Elias excited over their latest enemy. Still, he took Elias' hand and started heading out. "Tell me all about it," he gave in.

~ 0 ~

Back in the main bridge, the group looked over the security camera to see how exactly Pritchard had turned into a ghost. They saw that Moran's ghost had basically drowned Pritchard.

O'Donnell turned off the camera.

"They're working out how to use the base against us," Minerva said, a bit impressed the ghosts knew those sort of tactics. "Altering the time settings so they can go about uninhibited, opening the airlocks. They're learning."

"And now there's three of them," the Doctor could only wonder how much trouble three ghosts would cause in the matter of an hour.

"Cass, what do we do?" Bennett turned to their crew leader.

"We abandon the base," Lunn translated for Cass. "Topside can send down a whole team of marines or ghost-busters or whatever."

"Wait, wait-" the Doctor faced Cass but the woman fiercely moved face-to-face with him, signing her equally fierce thoughts.

"I can't force you to leave, so you can stay and do the whole cabin in the woods thing and get killed or drowned, if you want. But my first priority is to protect my crew."

Clara scooted closer to Minerva behind the Doctor, whispering, "But we're coming back, aren't we?"

"Oh of course," the blonde gave a small nod of her head.

Cass turned away from the Doctor, looking to O'Donnell and signed, "O'Donnell, contact Topside. Tell them we're abandoning the base on my orders."

O'Donnell moved over to a field telephone set on a table. "Topside, Topside, this is Lance Corporal Alice O'Donnell from Drum Control. Over."

 _'Drum Control, this is Topside. We have received your message. Submarine on its way. Over.'_

O'Donnel's eyebrows furrowed together, as did for the rest. "Repeat, Topside. Over."

 _'We've received your request for a rescue sub. It's two minutes away. Over.'_

O'Donnell glanced at the crew, but no one had an idea of what was going on. "Topside, who did you speak to and when was this request made? Over."

 _'Drum Control, it was in Morse code and arrived maybe half an hour ago. Said it was urgent, comms were down, two crew members critically ill, full paramedic team requested. Over.'_

The Doctor snatched the handset from O'Donnel and took over. "Topside, this is the Doctor, UNIT security visa seven one zero Apple zero zero. You may be familiar with my work. Call back the sub."

 _'Doctor, why would-'_

"Call it back! We have a hazardous and undefined contagion on board. This base is now under quarantine."

"What did you do that for?" Bennett frowned when the Doctor hung up.

"Isn't it clear?" Minerva's response made all eyes turn on her. "None of us sent that message which means that the _ghosts_ sent it. And if they sent it then they _want_ the crew down here."

"Why would they do that?" Lunn dreaded to know.

"Well, we don't know, but I'm pretty certain it's not so they can all form a boy band," the Doctor remarked. "Okay. We solve this on our own. The ghosts can only come out at night so they change the base's time settings. Why? What's different at night?"

O'Donnell looked around to see if anyone would answer, but seeing as it didn't happen she went for it herself. "It's mainly atmospheric. The lights are dim, the noise from the engines is muffled."

"No. Something, something else."

Cass realized there was perhaps another answer. "The diagnostic sweep. When the systems are checked, that stops at night to save power," Lunn translated for her.

"Well, what systems specifically?" asked Minerva.

"Life support, the locks," O'Donnell asnwered. "They're electromagnetic. They have to be secured in case of flooding, so throughout the day, they're checked, one by one, every few seconds."

The Doctor rubbed his chin, thinking out loud. "The answer is in there somewhere, I can smell it."

"What do we do?" Clara waited with anticipation.

The Doctor paced back and forth for a bit until he got just the idea. "O'Donnell. Excellent work, returning the base to day mode…"

The woman in question lit up at the compliment. "Shut up. It was nothing…" but she paused, "You really think so?"

"Now put it back into night mode."

Her face fell. "What!?"

"We know nothing. We don't know what they want. That's what's getting us killed. Well, I won't run. Not any more. So, O'Donnell, kindly put the base back into night mode. We want to know what these ghosts are after? We ask them. We're going to do the impossible. We're going to capture a ghost."

"Do we need nets?" came Elias' innocent question, making the Doctor smile.

"No El, not for this one, no," the Doctor shook his head, thinking of a more elaborate plan.

~0~

All around the lights went out, indicating it was night mode time. Bennett, Clara and Lynn were set at strategical points for the ghosts. From the main bridge, the rest watched through the security cameras. Elias stood on his tippy-toes trying to get a better look himself, although his disappointment was still marvelously evident in his face.

"I wanted to go too," he huffed once more.

"Over my body," Minerva patted his head. "Hunting ghosts is for adults."

"But I'm _big_ , see!?" Elias raised his hands over his head, trying to look as tall as possible.

"Come over here, El," the Doctor called to him. "You can help me guide them, okay?"

Elias beamed and left his mother's side to go 'help' the Doctor. "I get to help!"

"Yes you do, c'mon!" the Doctor picked him up and pointed to the screens.

"Bennett's got them moving, and Clara's in position," O'Donnell informed after Bennett had managed to get the ghosts on his trail.

The plan was simple, they hoped. It was just to draw the three ghosts into the farday cage where they would not be able to escape.

"I see Ca-yah!" Elias pointed at the screen that showed Clara, and Liv, waiting in one corridor.

"Yes," the Doctor agreed. "Clara, Bennett is going to run across the top of the T-junction to your right. In about ten seconds. Draw the ghosts towards you. Turn right, and then take second left."

"Got it," Clara called from the comm.

And they saw how Clara grabbed the ghosts' attention.

"Lunn, they're coming your way," the Doctor then informed. "Clara's going to duck down to her left. You've got to keep the ghosts going on the same route they're on now. Then, after about fifty yards on your left, there is a flood door. O'Donnell will close the door once you're through."

"I-I can hear them," Lunn nervously replied.

"We imagine you would," Minerva remarked, thinking it would've been obvious without saying it.

"Lunn, don't let them see where you go," the Doctor warned.

They watched as Lunn grabbed the attention of the three ghosts but after he ran off, they realized that only one of the ghosts was following him.

"They've separated," O'Donnell gasped. "Moran and the mole guy are going after Clara."

Minerva pressed for the comm. system to alert Clara she was still being chased. "Clara, look out. Two ghosts are still on your case. Right behind you."

"I'm beginning to think we should have let the ghosts in on the plan!" Clara exclaimed, slightly panting from the unforseen running.

"Clara, there's a flood door at the end of the corridor, around the corner to your right," the Doctor informed. "We'll close it from here. Listen to me. You've got to get through that door before Moran and the other ghost sees you."

"Guys, I'm nearly at my door!" Lunn then said, still doing his bit of the plan. He made it through his designated room and waited for the door to be closed. However, as it closed, he saw that Pritchard's ghost had caught sight of him. "It saw me. Oh, God. It saw me. It's coming through. It's coming through the door!"

"We don't have a camera in there!" O'Donnell told the rest when they expectedly waited for her to switch the camera view.

Cass turned to leave, terrified of the situation, but Minerva grabbed onto her. "It's not going to do anything!"

"What's going to happen, Daddy?" Elias blinked rapidly, understanding that this man was now in danger because of a ghost.

"Uh…" the Doctor frankly didn't know and he would rather not answer the question. He put Elias down on his feet and tried getting ahold of Lunn. "Lunn, can you hear me? Can you hear me? Lunn, what's happening?"

But in the room, Lunn was backing away from ghost-Pritchard. His back hit the wall and he had no other choice but to simply watch ghost-Pritchard pick up a wrench from the wall. Lunn slid down the wall as the ghost neared him. But then, at the last moment, the ghost dropped the wrench and walked away.

"Lunn, can you hear me? Lunn? Lunn?" the Doctor's voice was the only thing ringing in the room. "Lunn, Lunn! What's happening? Lunn? Lunn? Can you hear me?"

Lunn opened his eyes and released a giant breath when he saw the ghost wasn't there. "I-I'm okay," he slowly pushed himself back on his feet. Everyone else calmed instantly. "It didn't hurt me. I'm okay!"

"What?" the Doctor paused for a second. "What's wrong with you? Why didn't it hurt you?"

Minerva elbowed him on the side, shooting him a look for his imprudence. She shook her head and looked at the cameras again. "Bennett, you're on again. There are two ghosts just around the corner from you."

Bennett was in another corridor, and was taking discreet glances into the next one where he could see the other two ghosts just standing there. "Yes, thanks, I'd noticed," he whispered back to the group.

"The Faraday cage is across the intersection and down the corridor to your right. This last bit is down to you," the Doctor said.

Bennett went into a running and didn't need to look back to know that he had three ghosts behind him. "Okay, so, the good news is, they aren't split up any more. Cue Liv!"

Liv appeared in the center of the Faraday cage, which had its door open. "Come on in!" she clapped her hands to make as much noise as possible.

The ghosts walked right into the room. Liv smirked when the doors shut behind them. "Doctor, it worked!" she then called up to the comm.

In a matter of seconds, the Doctor had ran up to the room. He put on his sonic sunglasses to hopefully get some readings off the ghosts back in the main bridge. "We need to talk."

Clara, Bennett, and Lunn ran back to the main bridge. Cass and O'Donnell greeted their respective members with hugs and a punch on the arm.

"I'm fine, by the way…" Clara raised a hand after not getting much, "...in case any of you were worried."

Minerva turned around with a smirk on her face. Elias laughed and ran towards Clara. "I can do it!" he threw his arms around Clara's waist, hugging her.

Clara smiled. "Thanks, El. You're the best."

"Yeah," Elias pulled back with a boyish grin.

"You are so your father's son," Clara playfully rolled her eyes.

"Minerva, are you all seeing it?" the heard the Doctor call. His sonic sunglasses were infiltrating the security cameras and displaying what he saw, which were the ghosts and Liv.

Minerva squinted her eyes as did the rest. "We can't get a proper look. I think the glass is too thick or they're too far away...or both."

"Open the door," the Doctor said so calmly.

"Are you kidding me?" Clara stared at the screen like the Doctor could see her. "We just went through this whole plan to make sure the ghosts didn't hurt us and now you want go inside?"

"Doctor whatever you want, just...just let Liv get it," Minerva was thinking logically, and thankfully Liv agreed.

"Doctor what do you need?" Liv stood right on the other side of the door from him.

"A look at the ghosts - Minerva!" the Doctor called for his wife. "Get them to open the doors!"

Minerva rolled her eyes, waving a hand at O'Donnell. "Let him in, but if he dies I'm killing him."

"Mommy, does he need a net?" Elias tugged at Minerva's hand.

"No, he's going to need a miracle if he wants to survive _me_ ," Minerva mumbled as she attentively watched the screen where her husband was in.

In the Farday cage, Liv walked up with the Doctor to the ghosts. "My sister's going to kill you if this goes wrong," she warned him.

"I got the memo," the Doctor promised.

But as soon as they could, Moran's ghost thrust a hand right through the Doctor's body. The Time Lord gasped and twitched but was otherwise not in pain.

"Quit your playing!" Liv hit him on the arm. "I give Minerva five minutes before she comes in here herself to pull you out by the ear!"

The Doctor couldn't disagree there. "Cold, isn't it?" he smirked at ghost-Moran as it took its hand back. "Take away your weapons and you're not so scary, are you? Is that better, Minerva?"

"I guess," came the grumbling response.

Liv tilted her head at the three ghosts that had aligned themselves. "Wait, Doctor, I think...I think they're saying something…"

And back on the main bridge, the others were beginning to realize it too.

"They're moving their mouths at the same time, and finishing at the same time," Minerva noted.

"Cass says they're saying the same thing, the same phrase, over and over," Lunn said after Cass had gotten closer to the cameras. "They're saying the dark. The score. No, the sword. The for sale? No, the forsaken. The temple."

"What?"

Cass repeated her signging, looking very assured. "Yes, she's sure. The dark, the sword, the forsaken, the temple," Lunn said for her. "Just that. Over and over."

"Kind of like...last words?" Liv tried reasoning with her own logic.

"Dark, sword, forsaken, temple. What does that mean?" the Doctor stared blankly at the ghosts. "What are you telling me, big man?"

"I think if they could tell us we wouldn't be in this situation," Liv remarked.

"It's hidden like a riddle," came Minerva's clear voice over the system. "And I love riddles."

The Doctor smiled. "I think my wife's figured it out."

~0~

"They're coordinates," Minerva gestured to the map the Doctor had placed between the group.

"How do you know?" Clara raised an eyebrow. It's not that she wouldn't believe Minerva but the words were scarce on any relevancy to be actual coordinates.

"One of my childhood friends _is_ head of my kingdom's military, Clara," Minerva reminded, smiling just a tad smugly. "I know my military talk when I have to."

"Unfortunately," the Doctor couldn't help but bitterly say. See, the word 'military' should never have to be in Minerva's vocabulary. He understood that she was only acting as any leader would by making sure that her people would always be protected. It just didn't mean the Doctor liked it.

"But how can they be coordinates?" Bennett continued with Clara's disbelief, although now the brunette was totally convinced it was coordinates.

"The 'dark' means space," Minerva answered first. "Meaning that whoever is following the coordinates knows they're going to another planet."

"And the sword?" Liv slowly asked.

The Doctor handed an apple to Bennett, a knobby ball to O'Donnell, a tennis ball to Clara and a Vector Petroleum place mat for her right hand. He positioned them up in a diagonal line, making them raise their hands with the respective objects up.

"My toys," Elias huffed as Clara lowered the tennis ball. Clara knew that was his favorite tennis ball to play with.

"Orion's sword!" he finally answered Liv. "The sword, the three stars, although one isn't actually a star but the Orion Nebula, hanging down from Orion's belt. But if viewed from back here-" he ran to the end of the line where Clara was, "-the Earth becomes the fourth bit of the sword. So, narrowed it down to a planet now. Getting closer."

"And the forsaken means the abandoned or empty town," Minerva explained while the Doctor took back all the objects he'd given out. Of course hearing Elias' whimpers the Doctor have him his tennis ball back.

"See, it's a location, beaming out to someone or something across the universe, over and over," the Doctor have a light shrug of his shoulders. "And every time they kill one of us -"

"It strengthens the signal," Clara understood, slightly disturbed. "Another ghost, another transmitter."

"Which is why they sent for that rescue sub," O'Donnell also made the connection.

"If they get more people down here then they kill them and make even more transmitters," Minerva simplified for the rest.

Cass began to sign and Lunn asked, "But why are they beaming out the coordinates? Is it a distress call?"

"It could be. Or a warning," the Doctor offered as another reason.

"Might even be a call to arms," Minerva spoke her thoughts with ease, despite them being a tad scary. "It could mean, come here, they're vulnerable, help yourself."

"Wait a minute, though. Wait a minute!" the Doctor suddenly pointed no where in specific. "Do you know what this means?"

"What? What!?" Elias excitedly hopped till he was next to his father.

The Doctor smiled in what Minerva would only call his 'idiot smile'. "It means that they're not a natural phenomenon. It means that someone is deliberately getting people killed, hijacking their souls and turning them into transmitters."

"What's that?" Elias innocently asked then, only understanding his father was talking fast and pretty happy.

"What do the coordinates lead to, though?" O'Donnell inquited. "To us? To the ghosts? What?"

"Ah!" the Doctor continued with his excited demeanor. "What the coordinates are for. That is part of the answer to the other question you're all thinking." He waited anxiously for the others to react but was met with blank stares instead. "Really? Come on. None of you? Surely just being around me makes you cleverer by osmosis? What is the other question?"

Cass looked at her crew and decided to give her own answer. "The temple," Lunn said for her. "The fourth part of the directions. What's the temple?"

"Finally," the Doctor mocked a dramatic sigh. "It's like pulling teeth. This is the flooded military town. Shops, houses, town square, and this-" he pointed at a the map. They were now looking at a long, narrow building on a photograph on the wall. "

"A church?" Clara made her assumption.

"Whatever the coordinates are for, it's in that church. Find that and you're a hop, skip and a jump to stopping them."

"Wait, you're not suggesting that?" Bennett blinked. "But we're safe now. The ghosts are in the cage. We can get out of here."

"Well, no one was forcing to you stay in the first place," Minerva pointed out. "My husband here probably prefers you all to leave."

"They'd ask ridiculous questions and get in the way," the Doctor argued without much strength. "But…" he pointed to the crew, "...you know, you have chosen to protect and serve. You-" he directed his finger to Bennett, "-have given yourself to science and the pursuit of knowledge. None of you have chosen anonymous or selfish lives. Go, and a part of you will always wonder, what would have happened if I'd stayed? How could I have helped? What would I have learned? I want you to go. But you should know what it is that you're leaving."

"Cass says we should go-" Lunn said once Cass began to sign, "-but everything that happens here is her responsibility now, so she's going to stay. So I, er, guess I should too."

O'Donnell seemed to be waiting these sorts of answers and happy chimed in her own. "Well, count me in. Who wants to live forever, anyway?"

"Sorry, er, have you gone insane?" Bennett frowned at his friends. "We can go home." But O'Donnell gave him a big grin and of course the man had to rethink. "They're ghosts, though. How can they be ghosts? Well, at least if I die, you know I really will come back and haunt you all."

"That's the spirit," Liv laughed before suddenly adding, "No pun intended."

~ 0 ~

And so, with the help of a drone submarine they scoured the flooded church in the town until they came across the item or device that was raising the dead. It didn't take them long to find a futuristic - clearly alien - large, white casket. They brought into the base, into the main hangar room where the spaceship was.

"Mommy, let's open it!" Elias had his trusty, toy sonic screwdriver in hand and was now aiming it at the casket.

Minerva's eyes flickered to the Doctor, shooting him a 'this is your problem' look. She still didn't like that little gift because she felt it would only enhance Elias' wish to have a _real_ sonic screwdriver and there was no way in hell she was ever letting him have one...at least not until he was grown.

"Uh, El, we can't quite open it yet," the Doctor lowered Elias' hand. "It's deadlocked. And we know what that means, right?"

With a pout, Elias nodded his head. "No sonic screwdrivers."

"So if it's deadlocked...does that mean the pilot is still in there?" Clara stared down at the casket with mild curiosity.

"Well there's definitely something in there," the Doctor replied. "It should be the pilot, it should be."

"So why do you think it isn't?" Liv concluded from the Doctor's face that he wasn't quite sure it really was the pilot that was in the casket.

"More questions," the Doctor mumbled. "Everything I solve, just more questions."

"Oh... _no_ ," they heard Minerva sigh from behind. She'd gotten a whiff of the Doctor's thoughts and couldn't decide if she was happy to have a smart husband like hers, or if she should be irritated she had a husband who loved danger so much.

The Doctor glanced back at her with a cheekish smile. "I have to go back to the beginning." He rushed back to the spaceship, mumbling what they already knew. "We arrive, we see the ghosts. They don't kill us. They lead us here, they show us the spaceship. Then they try to kill us." He stared at the wall with the untranslated symbols. "Not translated by the Tardis. Why?"

"The TARDIS doesn't know, Daddy. She needs to learn," Elias answered innocently. Maybe the TARDIS needed to learn things like he was. His Mommy always told him that everyone always needed to continue learning or else they would never new things.

The Doctor smiled and shook his head. "Maybe, El." He slipped on his sunglasses and studied the symbols with them, hoping to get some readings off it.

Minerva didn't need to study the symbols anymore. What was there was there. "I think we should be discussing more about those symbols than just staring at them dear," she called.

"Ideas, darling?" the Doctor turned to her, a smile pulling at his lips.

"Well…" Minerva tilted her head, thinking.

"Oh, you already know, don't you?" Clara made an unceremonous snort. Minerva smirked. "You're just as much of a show off as he is," she jerked a thumb in the Doctor's direction.

"Why do you think I married her?" the Doctor came back from the spaceship, stopping just in front of Minerva with a smuggish smile.

Minerva raised an eyebrow, feigning offence but pretty happy with what she was hearing. "Hm."

"Before you two start flirting, can we get back to the ghost problem?" Liv appeared just beside the two.

Minerva pulled away from her husband because she could not make promises that she would stay focused if he kept shooting her those smug smiles. "Okay," she clapped her hands together. "So by this point we know that those symbols-" she pointed a finger to the spaceship, "-are not just words. They can't be. Because clearly it has something to do with the ghosts' motives to kill. Question," she turned to face the group, "if they're not words, what are they?"

But no one answered her.

Minerva sighed lightly and continued. "Okay, picture them like… magnets."

"Magnets?" Bennett repeated, frowning. "How?"

"Well, a localised and manufactured electromagnetic field, to be precise," the Doctor couldn't help himself from correcting them. "The dark. The sword. The forsaken. The temple. When we heard the coordinates for the first time, did anyone expect them not to be that?" Like Minerva, he received no answers. "No, exactly. Me neither. It's like we already knew, somehow. Like the words were already in us."

"So that writing _is_ the coordinates?" O'Donnell asked just to be sure they were all following the same page.

"Everything we see or experience shapes us in some way. But these words actually rewrite the synaptic connections in your brain," Minerva said, making a gesture to her head. "They literally change the way you are wired. Clara, why don't we have a radio in the Tardis anymore?"

Clara playfully rolled her eyes. "Because the Doctor took it apart and used the pieces to make a clockwork squirrel."

Elias giggled. " _My_ squirrel, Ca-yah."

" _And_ because whatever song I heard first thing in the morning, I was stuck with," the Doctor added. "Two weeks of Mysterious Girl by Peter Andre. I was begging for the brush of Death's merciful hand."

Minerva cleared her throat loudly on purpose. "I love that song."

"You were making a point, darling?" the Doctor quickly motioned her to continue before he got into real trouble.

Minerva shook her head. "What we meant was that these words are like that catchy song you get rid of. The words are like a song you can't stop humming, even after you die."

"Okay…" Clara gave a small nod to indicate she was understanding, "...so, the spaceship lands here. The pilot leaves the writing on the wall so whoever sees it, when they die, they become a beacon of the coordinates, while he slash she slash snoozes in the suspended-animation chamber…"

"...waiting for his slash her slash its mates to pick the message up," Liv finished for her, getting the same thoughts as she.

"My God. Every time I think it couldn't get more extraordinary, it surprises me," the Doctor said, a bit breathless from his awe. "It's impossible. I hate it. It's evil. It's astonishing. I want to kiss it to death."

"Oh, _now_ you're in deep trouble," Minerva raised her hands and turned away from him. The Doctor had just opened his mouth to amend his error when the alarms of the base began blaring.

 _'Attention, all crew. Evacuate base immediately. Emergency protocols have been initiated. This safety message was brought to you by Vector Petroleum. Fuel for our futures.'_

O'Donnell ran to the wall touch screen in the room and was horrified to see 'Flooding Initiated' beginning. "Oh, no. The ghosts tampering with the day-night settings caused a computer malfunction. Its its first priority is to keep the reactor cool, so it's opening the hull doors and it's flooding the base!"

"Cass says, close the internal flood doors," Lunn translated for the brunnette. "That'll contain the water in the central corridor."

"Where's the Tardis?" Liv asked from her friends but O'Donnell answered.

"On the other side!"

"We need to get there. It's our only way out!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"Okay. We've got thirty seconds before the flood doors close!" O'Donnell informed.

"Let's go!" Minerva ushered everyone out the room.

They all ran down the corridor but Elias began to whimper seeing he couldn't quite keep up with the rest. "Daddy!"

"C'mon!" the Doctor grabbed the boy and adjusted his weight to continue running.

He crossed first through the central corridor into the next. O'Donnell and Bennett made it right after before the flood door closed, leaving the rest on the other side.

"No, Minerva!" the Doctor turned around to see their door slide down shut as well.

Minerva backed up everyone on her side so that she could see through the door's small window. _'There's no way to open the doors anymore, just keep going!'_ she told him telepathically.

"Mommy," Elias leaned forwards to touch the window of their door.

' _I **will** get you and the others out_' the Doctor promised Minerva. ' _Sit tight, I'll come back for you._ '

Minerva nodded slowly, knowing that TARDIS wouldn't even dare cross over to their side because of the ghosts. It would be quicker for the Doctor to go back in time and figure out the reason for the beacons.

' _I've no doubt of that, Martian. Just...take care of our mini-Martian over there._ ' Minerva looked at her son who was no doubt fearful of their newest circumstances. ' _You just make sure **he** stays safe. I come second._'

' _You and Elias are my first priorities - not one over the other_.' the Doctor promised her once again. Minerva just smiled softly. The Doctor then tore his eyes off his wife and started for the TARDIS.

"Wait, where are we going?" Bennett asked as he and O'Donnell scurried after the Doctor. "We can't just leave them!"

"Mommy's there," Elias looked over the Doctor's shoulder at the door that was growing farther and farther away.

"We are not leaving them!" the Doctor growled at Bennett, leaving it clear that he had absolutely no intention of leaving his wife behind. "To save them I need to go back in time to see why the ghosts started killing in the first place."

"Wait, you're going to go back in time? How do you do that?"

"Extremely well," the Doctor then put Elias down so that he could walk alongside him. "And El, you know I would never leave Mummy behind. We're her boys, aren't we?" Elias nodded, although his small hand gripped the Doctor's, indicating he was still mighty scared. "So we are going to save her. Show me your sonic." Elias pulled out his little toy sonic and held it up. "There we are. No one better for the job than us, huh?" the Doctor ruffled Elias' ginger hair, making the boy smile.

They were most definitely saving their favorite girl.

~ 0 ~

Minerva led the others back into the mess hall seeing as there was nothing else to do but simply wait.

"You're sure they're not going to hurt us?" Lunn was right behind her, this time asking out of his own accord and not translating for Cass.

"Yes, alright?" Minerva turned around, her short hair swinging with her. "The ghosts are still in the Faraday cage and they can't get out."

Cass started signing, but Minerva could easily detect a look of distrust on the woman's face. "And you're sure the Doctor won't just leave us here?"

Minerva tried her best not to look offended at the question. "I'm his wife. Have been for centuries now. I think I'm past the whole 'is he coming back for me' thing, dear."

Cass frowned. Clara smiled and tried easing the tension that was slowly building between them. "Okay, we'll be fine. This is how we roll. The Doctor's going to go away, come back and we'll have to listen to how he did it."

"Uh...Minerva?" they suddenly heard Liv who had appeared in front of the big windows in the room. Minerva glanced at the blonde woman. "I think...I think one of the ghosts _did_ get out." Because now Liv was looking at a darkish figure approaching the base from outside, through the water.

"What?" Minerva scowled, clearly not buying it. "No, that's impossible. You have to be mistaking it."

"Uh I assure you that I'm _not_ ," Liv pointed ahead as Minerva and the others approached the windows.

"I don't think it's any of the ghosts we know about," Clara said as the figure grew closer. "I think it's a new ghost."

"What does that mean?" Lunn asked.

"Isn't it obvious? It means that something happened in the past…" Minerva stared the best she could to get a clearer look, "...it means that somebody else must have…" but her breath hitched when she made the figure out.

Beside her, Clara's and Liv's eyes widened.

"Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no!" Minerva slammed a hand against the window. Her heart constricted but all she could do is stare at her husband's would-be ghost on the other side...slowly approaching them.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

It's been a while hasn't it? It was a pack filled semester of assignments, presentations and experiments. I actually just graduated last week so I'm now barely getting some time to get back into my writing!

 **For the Reviews:**

 **lautaro94:** I mean, like I've said before: it's a different narrative here. It could never be like the show portrays. Perhaps in my other fanfics for doctor who, it'll be closer to what the show has!

 **TheBlueRiver** : Thanks so much! Hope you liked this chapter too!

* * *

Updates will resume as usual now! Thanks for those sticking around to read ;)


	4. Before the Flood

"This is a boring town," Elias glumly kicked some dirt with his foot, missing the Doctor's discreet smirk beside him. Leave it to his son to get bored because there's no action yet. "When do we get to save Mommy?" Elias looked up at his father questioningly.

"As soon as Bennett gets out from the TARDIS," the Doctor shot a look at the only human with them. "We need to get going, you know."

"Oh, he's still throwing up," O'Donnell explained sheepishly. "One small step for man, one giant bleaurgh."

"Oh, time travel does that sometimes," the Doctor waved her off with his free hand. His other kept Elias' hand firmly tight. He was not risking his son to get lost on his own in the town, despite it being so incredibly small.

"Somehow I doubt that Rose or Martha or Amy lost their breakfast on their first trip," O'Donnell remarked, surprising the Doctor with her knowledge.

"You seem to know an awful lot about me," he eyed her suspiciously.

"Just you, actually," O'Donnell said with a bit of disappointment. At the Doctor's look, she elaborated a bit. "Your wife's not as known for some reason. Neither was your son."

"She & UNIT are on a need-to-know basis," the Doctor left it at that. Minerva of course trusted Kate Stewart but to say that she fully trusted _UNIT_ was another thing. It was hard to forget the organization that wanted to hunt you down as an extraterrestrial case. "And absolutely no one creates a profile on my son."

"Ha, ha," went Elias triumphantly despite not fully understanding what they were talking about. He then pulled on the Doctor's hand, making him look down. "When are we, Daddy?" O'Donnell crinkled her nose when the Doctor licked his finger and held it up. Elias giggled. "Mommy said you can't do that."

"Yes, well, maybe Mummy shouldn't know about it, then," the Doctor winked at Elias. "We're in 1980."

O'Donnell nodded her head. "So, pre-Harold Saxon. Pre-the Minister of War. Pre-the moon exploding and a big bat coming out."

"The Minister of War?" the Doctor repeated, unfamiliar with that one.

"Yeah…"

The Doctor opened his mouth to further question it but then shut it and shook his head. "No, never mind. I expect I'll find out soon enough."

"Sorry about that," Bennett finally came out from the TARDIS. "Had a prawn sandwich. Might have been off."

"Ah ha. Don't worry. Shall we go?"

"Yes!" Elias hopped excitedly. They'd been waiting far too long and he really wanted to go see what was out in the little town.

"Just one sec, I've just got something in my boot," O'Donnell gestured to her shoe and leaned on Bennett for support.

"Aww, no more waiting," Elias drawled out his disappointment.

The Doctor agreed he was finished waiting too. Like father like son. "We'll get a head start," he announced and then took a headstart with the now happy Elias.

"Can we go to the stores?" Elias pointed at several shops as they passed by.

"Those aren't real, El," the Doctor revealed to the boy. "They're pretend."

"Not even the phone?" Elias pointed to a telephone box across.

"Not even the telephone box," the Doctor subtly corrected him.

"Why have we gone to Russia?" Bennett caught up, making his assumption they were in Russia based on a Stalin poster they saw on their way.

"Er, we haven't. We're still in Scotland," the Doctor replied. "This is the town before it flooded. The Tardis has brought us to when the spaceship first touched down. But here and now, it's the height of the Cold War. The military were being trained for offensives on Soviet soil."

Elias suddenly gasped. "Daddy, I found it! I found the spaceship!" he announced joyfully, pointing a small finger ahead.

They followed his gaze to see that indeed the spaceship was planted not too far from them. Just like at the base, its rear ramp was down and thus its interior was open for the public. The group ran all the way up to it and clambered inside.

"Is that a Mummy!?" Elias asked, almost too happy when he spotted a body wrapped very much like a Mummy. The Doctor was a bit preoccupied in the beginning with the missing stasis chamber actually being there. But when he saw Elias trying to poke said mummy, he yanked the boy back.

"What did your _your_ Mummy tell you about touching unknown things?"

Elias blinked, as if trying to honestly remember what his mother said to him. "Um...no touching...what's not yours?"

"Close enough," the Doctor patted his head. He turned back just as O'Donnell neared the body.

"Oh, is that the pilot? My God, look at size of it!"

"No, that's the body," the Doctor corrected.

"What do you mean, the _body_?" O'Donnell then took one step away from the body.

"This isn't just any spaceship. It's a hearse."

"What's there!?" Elias ran over to Bennett as the man opened the floor hatch where the 2 power cells were meant to be. Elias squatted next to Bennett, very curious.

Bennett noticed that both power cells were still inside. "The suspended animation chamber's still here, and the power cells for the engine."

O'Donnell glanced over to the wall that was meant to have the markings but saw it was completely empty. "And there are no markings on the wall."

"Yet," the Doctor mumbled. They heard a commotion getting near them and saw a short alien, a familiar one, running towards them. The Doctor reached for Elias' hand and brought the boy back to his side.

"Greetings!" went the familiar alien. He carried a briefcase in one hand and a white handkerchief in the other.

"It's him. That's the ghost from the Drum," O'Donnell gasped lightly when they got a better look.

Elias giggled when the alien got nose-to-nose with the Doctor. "Do you need glasses?" Elias asked him.

The Doctor was unamused and stepped back with Elias. The other alien never noticed. "Remarkable. Oh, and humans, too. Albar Prentis, Funeral Director!" he took out a business cards and handed them to the adults. The Doctor didn't even look at it once before chucking it to the side.

"You're from Tivoli, aren't you?" Bennett inquired.

"The most invaded planet in the galaxy!" Prentis cheered. "Our capital city has a sign saying, if you occupied us, you'd be home by now."

"Yes, I've had dealings with your lot before. I can't say I'm a fan," the Doctor drew from his memory of the moving hotel with Amy and Rory. Just remembering how that Tivoli sold out one of their friends put the Doctor on red alert for Prentis.

"No, we do tend to antagonise," Prentis laughed.

"What are you doing here?" demanded the Doctor.

"Ah, yes. Of course," Prentis moved to the body. "This is the Fisher King. He and his armies invaded Tivoli and enslaved us for ten glorious years! Until we were liberated by the Arcateenians. But, thank the Gods, soon we'd irritated them so much, they enslaved us, too!" No one really cares for his delirious laughter.

"My first proper alien, and he's an idiot," Bennett made a face.

Elias reached over and tugged on his jacket. "I'm alien too," he informed with the brightest smile ever. He thought he was a much cooler alien than this Tivoli.

"And now, in accordance with Arcateenian custom, I've come to bury him on a barren, savage outpost," Prentis informed.

"You mean the town?" O'Donnell looked around the near desolate place.

"He means the planet," the Doctor corrected once more.

"Although, at the risk of starting a bidding war, you could enslave me," Prentis told him rather hopefully. "In the ship I have directions to my planet and a selection of items that you can oppress me with."

"Mommy says no slavery," Elias recited one of his lessons' topic very proudly. "It's _wrong_."

The words might have been blasphemy for Prentis.

"Listen-" the Doctor cut in, "-we've come from the future. You're about to send some sort of signal. How do you do it? Is it a special pen?"

There was no trace of knowledge on Prentis' face. "What are you talking about?"

"The technology you use. The thing that wrenches the soul out of the body and makes it repeat your coordinates for eternity. Give it to me now, I'm going to take the batteries out."

"We don't have anything like that!" Prentis laughed. "Even this belongs to the glorious Arcateenians."

"So who sends the message?"

Prentis sniffed. Apparently, he just didn't know. The Doctor felt like he'd had enough. "Back to the Tardis. I need to talk to Minerva," he started down the ramp with Elias first.

"I wanna say hi to Mommy!" Elias cheered.

~0~

Back in the future, Cass and Lunn were sitting in front of the glass window where they could clearly see the Doctor's ghost floating. Minerva, Clara and Liv were sitting apart, Minerva with her hands buried in her hair.

"We've been in situations like this before, okay?" Clara comfortingly rubbed Minerva's arm. The blonde had yet to speak or even release any sort of emotion since seeing the ghost of her supposed dead husband. "We're going to figure it out."

Minerva raised her head to meet Clara's gaze. "We've really trained you, haven't we?" Clara shared a small smile with her. Minerva sighed and brought her hands down to the table. "I can't telepathically connect with the Doctor if he's not in this time. I'd love to get a hold of him and warn him that if he dies...I will kill him."

"There's the Minerva we know and love," Liv put a hand on Minerva's back. "And occasionally a bit scared of." Minerva rolled her eyes.

"Guys," Lunn called to them. They could see Cass was signing something to him. She looked ahead pretty determined of something. "Cass thinks the Doctor's saying something different to the others. He's saying Moran Pritchard Apprentice. No, Prentis, O'Donnell, Minerva, Clara, Doctor, Bennett, Cass."

Minerva got up from her chair, eyebrows knitting together. "But that's just a list of our names. And it's missing a few."

"When he finishes, he just goes back to the beginning again, over and over," Lunn said. "That's it."

"Who's Prentis?" Liv asked. At the same time, Clara felt her phone vibrate in her dress' pocket.

"It's the Doctor!" the brunette exclaimed and handed her phone over to Minerva.

"He's alive?" Lunn blinked.

"If he knows what's good for him," Minerva mumbled and took the call. "Martian, please tell me that you're alright? And Elias?"

"Yeah, fine, all of us," the Doctor answered, of course a bit confused. "So listen, the spaceship, it's a hearse…"

"Of course it is," Minerva moved to the nearest table and propped the phone against an empty mug so that everyone could see. In the TARSIS, the phone call was being streamed through the scanner so that everyone could see as well.

So once the Doctor got a good look at his wife's face, he knew something was off. "Minerva, what's wrong?"

"Another ghost has appeared," the blonde grimly answered.

"What? Who? Has someone died?"

"He better not," Minerva found a tiny amuse bit in her but sighed. "Doctor, it's _you_. Are you sure that you're okay? You're not lying just to make me feel better are you?"

"I _am_ fine," the Doctor assured but got to thinking. He hated that he couldn't talk with her telepathically for the moment. It really would make everything easier, and more private. He hated having so many people around them sometimes. It ruined their moments.

"Okay, but what does this mean?" Clara moved beside Minerva, urging to get to the good part where they came up with a plan to save everyone.

The Doctor stared long and hard at Minerva, willing her to understand him. Minerva upheld the stare with narrowed eyes, a completely indescribable expression sitting on her face.

"Okay," she said after a long while of silence. Clara and Liv stared incredulously at Minerva. "We must do what we have to."

"Thank you," the Doctor gave a curt nod

Clara's eyes flickered between Minerva and the phone. "A-are you kidding me? You're just... _accepting_ it? We can change the sequence of events so-"

"This isn't a potential future. This is the future now," the Doctor so calmly corrected her. "It's already happened. The proof is right there in front of you. I have to die."

Clara couldn't believe her ears. "No. You can change things!"

Liv couldn't understand why the Doctor was giving up so easily. This wasn't the Doctor they knew. There was something brewing inside that dusty head of his and neither she nor Clara were in the loop.

"I can't. Even the tiniest change, the ramifications could be catastrophic," the Doctor said matter-of-factly. "It could spread carnage and chaos across the universe like ripples on a pond. Oh, well, I've had a good innings. This regeneration-" he made a motion to O'Donnell in the background, "-it's a bit of a clerical error anyway."

"Shut up," Minerva's lips twitched into a smile.

Clara was near losing it. "Not with me! Die with whoever comes after me. You do _not_ leave me!"

"That's a bit rude," Minerva threw her a sarcastic glance. Clara huffed and crossed her arms, very much like a child. "I'll ignore that because you're all…" Minerva waved a finger at Clara's face, "...puffy…"

The word did not make Clara feel any better. " _Puffy_?"

Minerva gave a shrug of her shoulders and returned to the conversation with the Doctor. "So then, shall we get to the autopsy then?"

"Always in my mind, you," the Doctor smiled at her. "So. Ghost me. How do I look? Any signs of trauma, any scars? Any clues as to how I die?"

Minerva glanced back at the glass wall. "No, nothing. You're the same as all the other ghosts with the weird black eyes and."

Liv popped in just in front of the wall to help with the study. "No. No, wait. His coat. It's torn. The right shoulder."

"I assume I'm just saying the same thing as the others…"

"No. You're saying a list of names. Our names, mainly," Minerva said. "Moran, Pritchard, Prentis, O'Donnell, Minerva, Clara, Doctor, Bennett, Cass. Now dear who's Prentis?"

"The mole-faced chap known as the undertaker."

"He's funny," went Elias beside the Doctor. Unfortunately, Minerva and the others were a bit distracted with the fact that the Doctor's ghost had just come through the window.

Hearing her gasp, the Doctor gently pushed Elias to the side and started calling for his wife. "What's the matter, Minerva, what's happening?"

"You've moved inside. You're inside here now," Minerva was studying the ghost as best as she could.

"What am I doing?"

"Er, nothing. You're, you're just standing there."

"I'm not trying to kill you? Why am I not trying to kill you?"

Minerva turned right back to the phone, eyes narrowing. "Well, don't sound too disappointed, dear." The Doctor winced and mumbled a very meaningful 'I love you' that semi-settled her down.

"What is he doing?" Liv was following the ghost-Doctor down the room. He stopped in front of the control panel on the wall and started maneuvering it. In a one, two he opened the Faraday cage and released the rest of the ghosts.

"Oh, no. He's opened the Faraday cage. He's let the other ghosts out!" Minerva exclaimed.

"I need to talk to me now!" the Doctor instructed.

Clara watched Minerva pick the phone to go do the task. "Umm...shouldn't we, I don't know, be hiding?" she called, scratching her head.

"In a minute," Minerva told her. She'd come up to a cabinet and set the phone for it to see the ghost behind. "You better do what you need to, fast."

"Your wish is my command, darling," the Doctor obediently responded, watching her roll her eyes afterwards.

"You're on," Minerva stepped aside.

"Doctor. Such an honour. I've always been a huge admirer-" Minerva rolled her eyes as her husband continued with his sarcasm streak, "This is really a delight. Finally someone worth talking to-"

Minerva then purposely cleared her throat. " _Excuse you_?"

"Best get on with it before you end up in a divorce, Doctor," Liv chimed in words of care right after.

"Right," the Doctor thought about his next words before he said something else that would get him into trouble. "So firstly, why are you here?" However, his ghost self turned away. "Minerva? Minerva, what's happening?"

Minerva swiped the phone from the table. "You've just stopped...ish…"

"No, he's starting again, look," Clara pointed at the ghost-Doctor who began 'saying' something again like the other ghosts.

"His message has changed," Lunn said for Cass. "He's saying something different. He's saying…"

"What?" all the travelers asked impatiently.

"He's saying, 'the chamber will open tonight.'"

"What is this? Harry Potter?" Clara mumbled under her breath.

"Minerva, listen to me, the ghosts are out, go to the Faraday cage!" the Doctor urgently instructed. "They won't be able to get you in there."

"Yes, perfect plan except for the part where the phone signal is going to get cut off the moment I step in!" the blonde responded.

"What you'll have to do is put the phone outside, and you can watch it through the little round porthole. And when you see it ringing, if it's safe to do so, go out and answer it."

"Or I can answer it too," Liv raised a hand to remind of her special abilities. Unfortunately, they weren't the most trustworthy type.

"Just don't let that phone out of your sight," the Doctor made sure to warn. "I need to be able to reach you, I need to know everything my ghost does. Do you understand?"

"Right, fine," Minerva took him off the speaker and pressed Clara's phone to her ear. "Just...just hurry up please. I'm not a fanatic of seeing a ghost of your supposedly dead self."

Well that made two, didn't it?

"I'll come back for you. I swear," the Doctor said just for her, and missed Minerva's smile.

After ending the conversation was cut, Minerva and the rest made a quick getaway to the Farday cage. Minerva carefully set the cellphone just across the door where she could have a perfect view of it through the porthole window.

Meanwhile, in the TARDIS, the others were preparing to leave.

"But why can't I go?" O'Donnell was refusing to stay behind like the Doctor suggested.

"Someone needs to stay here and mind the shop," the Doctor then pointed to Elias sitting on the chair by the console. "Preferably if you could keep an eye on that one over there, it would be a lot of help."

"I want to go!" Elias pouted, hopping off his chair and running up to his father. "Please, can I go?" the Doctor gave him a weary look.

"See, he wants to go too," O'Donnell crossed her arms, smug smile ready to go. "Plus, the last bloke that said something like this to me got dangled out of a window."

Elias giggled and glanced back at the woman. "That's not nice."

"Maybe the Doctor's right. Maybe it's best if you stay here," Bennett tried to persuade as well but failed.

"Never going to happen. Seriously, have you two met me?" O'Donnell decided she wasn't going to listen to anymore and walked straight out of the TARDIS.

"Me too!" Elias made to break into a run when the Doctor seized one of his small hands.

"At my side, El!"

Elias still happily relented. When the group returned to the spaceship they found Prentis dead inside and the stasis chamber gone.

"Guess that dead body wasn't so dead after all…" O'Donnell looked around the now empty spaceship.

Bennett was staring at the wall wearily. "And now we've got the writing."

"Was it the Mummy?" Elias looked up to his father for the answer.

"Yes," the Doctor replied quietly. "The future is still coming."

"Look over there," O'Donnell headed down the ramp and was pointong to drag marks on the ground.

"He's taken the suspended animation chamber to the church," the Doctor followed the marks with his eyes. There was a great, big roar that kept everyone still for a minute.

"Is that a monster now?" Elias tilted his head, his voice completely calm. "I thought it was a Mummy."

"And that's not a monster to you?" Bennett gave an incredulous look at the child.

"It's an alien," the Doctor corrected them both. "We need to get back to the Tardis. Now!" he pulled Elias into a run and had the two humans followed behind. However, before they could reach the box, they were forced to stop and duck in a narrow passageway courtesy of the alien's second roar. "It's cut us off."

"Let's split up," O'Donnell quickly devised. "Go on, Bennett."

The Doctor decided to lift Elias onto his back, and after making sure the boy had his arms clasped around his neck, the Doctor dashed into a different direction with Bennett. The three made it into a fake bathroom and Bennett opted for an old chair-jamming-the-door trick that hopefully helped.

"Daddy…?" Elias began when the Doctor shushed with a finger on his lips. Elias then mimicked his father and put a finger over his own lips and remained quiet as ever.

They heard the creature stomping around the place but were fortunate enough to evade it. However, a couple minutes later, they heard O'Donnell scream. Bennett wasted no time in throwing the chair under the lock and running out.

"No, Bennett! Wait!" the Doctor rushed after him but with his son still on his back he lagged behind.

Bennett found O'Donnell lying on the floor, moaning in pain. The woman lasted only a couple of more seconds before she died. When the Doctor finally arrived, now holding Elias' hand beside him, Bennett was already figuring things out.

"Who's next on the list?" Bennett took off his glasses, clearly upset and frustrated as he turned to face the Doctor. "That list your ghost was saying, that's the order in which people are going to die, isn't it? I mean, I've only just figured that out. But you knew that all along, didn't you? Moran, Pritchard, Prentis, O'Donnell."

"I thought perhaps, because her ghost wasn't there in the future, like Prentis's was, I thought maybe, maybe it wouldn't happen. Maybe she stood a chance," the Doctor admitted.

"Yeah, but you didn't try very hard to stop her, though, did you? It was almost like you wanted to test your theory. So who's next?"

"...Minerva."

Bennett slipped on his glasses again, his face acquiring a reproachful look. "Yeah, yeah, so now you're _definitely_ going to do something about it, aren't you? Yeah, because it's getting closer to you. You change history to save yourself but not to save O'Donnell. You wouldn't save her."

The Doctor briefly blinked in confusion. "This isn't about saving me. I'm a dead man walking. I'm changing history to save my wife."

Bennett shook his head and stormed off.

Elias tugged on the Doctor's hand as they followed a moment later. "We're still going to save Mommy, right?" he was of course very sad that their friend O'Donnell died but he didn't want to see his mother come next. The ghosts couldn't get her, they just couldn't!

"Of course," the Doctor promised him.

~ 0 ~

Minerva was boredly staring through the porthole window of the Farday cage when she was confronted with O'Donnell's ghost on the other side. Gasping, Minerva stumbled back a step. "O'Donnel's dead…"

Cass and Lun, along with Clara and Liv, hurried to the door to see for theirselves. O'Donnell's ghost stared at them for a second then turned to the phone sitting on the ledge across them.

"And I think she wants to make a call…" Clara dreaded.

"No! N-n-n-n-n-n-no! Don't you - HEY!" Minerva slammed a hand on the door like it would make a difference. "Don't take that!"

"I got it!" Liv exclaimed and vanished. She reappeared on the other side and snatched the phone right on time. "Ha!" she then told O'Donnell's ghost.

"Liv, you can't bring it in here or else we'll lose the signal," Minerva worriedly reminded.

"Not a problem, I'll just hold onto it, then," Liv clutched the cellphone in her hand but stepped back when O'Donnell's ghost advanced on her. "Oh boy, you'll have to catch me for it," she warned the ghost and disappeared.

"Liv, no!" Clara exclaimed but the woman was gone.

"Where'd she go?" Lunn asked the two travelers remaining.

"Never mind that. That's not our problem right now," Minerva watched O'Donnell's ghost start after wherever Liv had gone off to. "Liv's ability to hold tangible objects comes and goes. If she loses control…"

"Don't say it," Clara warned, shaking her head, but it didn't matter because they both knew it would be game over for them if the ghosts got ahold of the cell phone.

~ 0 ~

"Where are we going now!?" Elias excitedly hopped after the Doctor who was making a round on the console. "Saving Mommy, right!?"

The Doctor found it amusing that Elias felt like he needed to remind him of that. Who could blame the four year old? Any young child was absolutely terrified of losing their parents. "Of course we are, El. We're going to time travel - again!"

"When are we going now?" Bennett asked from the rails.

"Off the map. Out of the rule book. What if I don't die?" the Doctor stopped for a minute, feigning thought. "What if I refuse? I'm going to go back to the base and I'm going to save Minerva, because that's what I do. And I don't see anyone here who's going to stop me."

This was nothing like the Time Lord Victorious moment he'd gone through all those centuries ago, he told himself. This wasn't a fixed moment, not from any angle. He could very well go back and save himself and Minerva along the way. He wasn't going to leave his son fatherless nor motherless.

"Uh, oh," Elias went as soon as the cloister bells began to toll. That sound was only made when the TARDIS was upset.

The Doctor hurried out to the door to see what the problem was. "We're still here!" he frowned at the fake Russian town. Then he spotted his own TARDIS around the corner, along with himself walking out of it. "No!"

Bennett and Elias had followed him out and were confused to see they were still in the same spot.

"Daddy, we didn't move!" Elias frowned.

"Oh, we moved," the Doctor turned to the two. "We've moved half an hour backwards. I'm locked in my own time stream. The Tardis won't let me leave."

"Well, what do we do?" Bennett asked.

"Now we have to keep out of sight, until time catches up," the Doctor reached for Elias' hand, warning the boy to follow him cautiously.

~ 0 ~

"We have to find Liv!" Minerva paced back and forth inside the Farday cage. "I love my sister but I know her abilities and I know sooner or later, probably soon, she's going to drop that phone." She stopped pacing and put her hands together, thinking hard and long for a solution.

Clara was trying to do the same and, assuming it was because she wasn't as frenzy as Minerva, she came up with a solution first. "When we found out what the ghosts were saying, we weren't surprised because the words, they were already inside us, but you…" she pointed at Lunn, "...you weren't, were you? You didn't know what the words were going to be."

"Oh, oh that's good," Minerva gave the brunette an approving glance. "We should pay you."

Clara snorted. "That'll be the day."

"But how did you know that?" Lunn asked from her.

"Because you were the one person who didn't see the writing in the spaceship," Minerva replied. "And Elias." That relieved her a bit to know the ghosts wouldn't come for her son no matter what.

"Cass wouldn't let me go inside…" Lunn glanced at the woman in question, signing for her to understand.

"That's why the ghosts didn't hurt you when they had the chance. The message isn't inside you," Clara beamed at the prospect. "So you can get the phone back."

"What?" Lunn hadn't signed that for Cass, leading the woman to query him about it. "She's saying I should go and get the phone from Liv."

Cass' eyebrows knitted together, and neither Minerva nor Clara needed the translation to know Cass was outright refusing.

"We _need_ to be able to contact the Doctor and you are the only one who can do this," Clara said to Lunn desparately.

"Okay," Lunn nodded his head, but Cass still wasn't on board. She grabbed the man by the lapels and fiercely signed something to him. "No, it makes sense. None of you can get it back-"

But Cass signed again, this time sending looks to Minerva and Clara.

"Yes, I'm going to need translation for that," Minerva upheld Cass' look.

"It doesn't matter," Lunn tried not evade translating but both Minerva and Clara forced him to in the end. With a small sigh, Lunn finally explained. "She said to ask you-" he pointed at Clara, "-whether travelling with the Doctor and Minerva changed you, or were you always happy to put other people's lives at risk. And as for you-" he moved his finger to Minerva who was already in the process of becoming offended, "-at what point did you start teaching Clara it was _okay_."

Clara gaped, of course startled by the accusation. Minerva, on the other hand, was close to rage. It did not help when Cass signed something more and Lunn was left to translate.

"And...will you be teaching your son the same?"

"You listen to me lady," Minerva pointed directly at Cass, all in the meanwhile Lunn was quickly translating back. "No one asked you to stay behind. All of you knew what you were signing up for so don't get all riled up when things get tough. No, we don't enjoy putting others in danger. Unfortunately, it doesn't always go as smooth as we'd like."

Both Clara and Lunn looked between both women, wondering if this was going to continue into a full blown argument. But, slowly, Cass relented. Lunn was to go out and fetch the phone from Liv.

~ 0 ~

Hiding behind a couple of barrels, the Doctor, Elias and Bennett had waited until their previous selves walked away from the spaceship, leaving Prentis inside the spaceship.

"Oooo," Elias suddenly said, his mouth in an 'o' shape while a small finger pointed at the Doctor's shoulder. "You're in trouble now, Daddy."

The Doctor looked at his coat and realized time was reasserting itself. "Oh, I need more time." He stood up, as did Elias and Bennett. "It's too soon. I haven't saved her yet. Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock…" he looked around thoughtfully. "I've got no choice now, I have to face the Fisher King. You, back to the Tardis."

Bennett understood but Elias pouted, not fully understanding what was going to happen.

"I wanna go too!" he raised a hand to signal his volunteering.

"Oh no you don't," the Doctor took Elias' hand and moved the boy to Bennett. "Do not let him go," he warned Bennett.

"But I want to go too! I want to save Mommy too!" the four year old began to stomp a foot.

"Elias, you have to look after the TARDIS, okay? Because that's the way we're going to get back to your Mummy. This is your part," the Doctor bent down in front of Elias, hoping to persuade the boy that this was a much better task which was also just as equally important.

"I'm helping save Mommy too?" Elias raised a delicate eyebrow.

The Doctor nodded, a big smile spreading across his face. "Yes, you are. Can I count on you?"

"Yes!" the boy exclaimed, all of a sudden happy as ever. The Doctor straightened on his feet and crossed a look with Bennett, both agreeing to divide.

~ 0 ~

Cass was anxiously left waiting at the door of the Farday cage while Lunn went in search for Liv and the phone. Clara was just beside the door while Minerva was across, leaning against the wall.

"Hey!" Clara was startled when Cass went to open the door but quickly stopped the woman. "No, no, no, no! What are you doing!?" Despite not having anyone to translate for her, Cass made it pretty clear what her intentions were. Clara shook her head at the woman and glanced at Minerva for some help. "Minerva? Tell her she can't do that!"

Minerva raised her gaze to Cass but no words of assurance came out. Instead, the two had a stare off which left Clara to wonder what the hell Minerva was planning on.

"Open the door, Clara," Minerva suddenly instructed.

The brunette in question froze, eyes wide. "Wh-what?"

"Open the door - what was so confusing about that?"

"I-I heard but... _why_?"

Minerva ignored Clara's incredulous looks as she passed to the door. "Because I know that look all too well. She's not going to desist so I'm going to have supervise." She glanced at Cass, firmly. "Now, we do this _together_." She signaled the basis of her words on the door, and Cass seemed to understand with a nod.

"Minerva are you sure this is a good idea?" Clara asked as the three stepped out of the Farday cage.

"No, but when am I ever?"

~ 0 ~

The Doctor had made it into the (not real) church where he immediately spotted the stasis chamber in the middle of a storage area. He knew better than to head straight for it, especially since he sensed he was not alone anymore.

"I've come from the future," the Doctor's eyes scanned the room for the creature. "I've seen the chaos you cause. The bloodshed."

"Tell me what you have seen," a raspy voice rang in the room, that of the Fisher King's.

"Ghosts."

"Ghosts?"

"Souls wrenched from the dead. Repeating directions to here, to this spot, over and over."

"How many ghosts do I create? How many!"

"Four that I know of. Maybe five by now," the Doctor's mind immediately went to Minerva, but he was hoping that she was fighting them off like always did. He was not going to fail her. "Probably more since I left."

"My ghosts will make more ghosts. Enough to bring an armada. Enough to wake me from my sleep."

The Doctor could hear the Fisher King's stomping but couldn't pinpoint where the creature was. "What will happen when your people arrive?"

"We will drain the oceans and put the humans in chains."

"This world is protected, by me," the Doctor straightened himself up.

"Yes. One man, lost in time," but it didn't sound like it meant much to the Fisher King.

~ 0 ~

"What are you doing here!?" Liv hissed when she saw Lunn enter the mess hall. She'd put the cellphone down on the table nearest to her, her hands having become translucient a couple minutes back.

"For the phone, of course," Lunn hurried up to her.

"You shouldn't have done that!"

And as if to prove Liv's word, the computer system announced the emergency security lock on the doors, leaving Lunn trapped inside.

Liv smacked her forehead.

~ 0 ~

"The seed of their destruction is already sown. They will die," the Fisher King vowed. "The message will be sent. My people will come, and you will do nothing to stop it, Time Lord."

The Doctor finally had the opportunity to see the Fisher King as he was...and he rather wished he hadn't. The alien was three meters high, donning mandible and a spiky plate armour. As if it wasn't enough ,it also carried a large hand weapon.

"Time Lords. Cowardly, vain curators who suddenly remembered they had teeth and became the most warlike race in the galaxy," it mocked and backed the Doctor up against the chamber. "But you, you! You are curious. You have seen the words, too. I can hear them tick inside you. But you are still locked in your history. Still slavishly protecting Time. Willing to die rather than change a word of the future.

You will be a strong beacon. How many ghosts can I make of you?"

The Doctor masked his fear as best he could to respond. "You know, you've got a lot in common with the Tivoleans. You'll both do anything to survive. They'll surrender to anyone. You will hijack other people's souls and turn them into electromagnetic projections. That will to endure. That refusal to ever cease. It's extraordinary. And it makes a fella think." He paused to see what the creature would do against his attacks. "Because you know what? If all I have to do to survive is tweak the future a bit, what's stopping me? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. The ripple effect. Maybe it will mean that the universe will be ruled by cats or something, in the future. But the way I see it, even a ghastly future is better than no future at all. You robbed those people of their deaths, made them nothing more than a message in a bottle. You violated something more important than Time. You bent the rules of life and death. So I am putting things straight. Here, now, this is where your story ends." He shut his eyes and thought long and hard.

"There is nothing you can do!" the Fisher King growled. He took aim at the Doctor but the Time Lord didn't look threatened.

"I've already done it. The words have gone. I got rid of them. The future I saw, none of that will happen now. The message will never contaminate my family and friends!" a great big smirk spread across the Doctor's face. "No one will die. No one is coming to save you. That's the thing about knowing you're going to die. You've got nothing left to lose."

The Fisher King turned and stalked off.

~0~

Liv felt, honestly, offended that everyone had ended up leaving the Faraday cage thinking her tangible abilities would fail her. Minerva, Clara and Cass had reached the mess hall, out of breath, but alright.

"What the hell do you think you're all doing!?" Liv shouted at them all. "The ghosts wanted you here! It's a trap!" and at that moment, the five ghosts walked through the walls. "See!"

"Back to the Faraday cage, now!" Minerva ordered. She motioned them out and then ran herself.

~0~

Inside the TARDIS, Elias was hopping in front of the monitor to get a look at the view outside. Despite being unable to use the TARDIS, the box would often go auto and perform several tasks for him, small tasks at least.

"Water!" He suddenly gasped, making Bennett look up from his spot. "Look! Look! It's breaking!"

Bennett rushed up to see what Elias was talking about. The dam had cracked down the half - curtsey of the missing power cells - andexploded.

A hologram of the Doctor appeared across the room.

"It's my Daddy!" Elias ran up to the hologram.

"This is security protocol seven one two," began the hologram. "The echelon circuit has been activated. Please stow any hand luggage and prepare for departure."

"You have to sit!" Elias then ran back to Bennett and took the man to the small staircase.

"But how will the Doctor get back!?" Bennett asked frantically.

"I dunno," Elias shrugged, turning his palms over. "But my Daddy always knows what to do. The TARDIS won't go if my Daddy is in trouble."

Bennett tried to look as innocent as the boy was. He assumed Elias didn't really understand how the circumstances were.

~0~

Minerva and the others had been cornered into the main hangar and the chances of getting out were looking pretty slim.

"Back, get back!" Minerva ordered the group as the ghosts came in. The suspended animation chamber behind then began ticking.

"Minerva, what now!?" Clara shakily looked around.

"Give me the Silence, Daleks, Weeping Angels...I can fight those...but how do I fight _ghosts_?" Minerva looked at her hands that billowed with icy smoke.

Suddenly, the stasis chamber opened up, and just as the group turned around the Doctor sat up with his sonic sunglasses.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," Minerva raised one eyebrow.

"Don't kiss me. Morning breath!" the Doctor climbed out of the chamber.

"Wasn't planning on it!" Minerva exclaimed.

"Really?" the Doctor frowned. "That's never a problem-"

Minerva whacked him on the arm. "Where is my son you idiot!?"

"Perfectly safe, don't worry! Now follow me!" He he took her hand and led the rest of the group out.

They ran to the bridge room with the ghosts quite at a distant behind them. The Doctor made it up to the console and plugged in his shades' earpiece into a socket. As soon as he did, the entire base heard the Fisher King's roaring.

"What's that noise?" Clara frowned.

"It's the call of the Fisher King. The call of their master."

From the security cameras, they saw the ghosts turning back.

"Uh, where are they going?" Liv asked.

The ghosts walked into the Faraday cage where the Doctor's ghost was creating the Fisher King's roar. As soon as they were inside, the Doctor closed and left the ghosts inside without his ghost's presence.

~0~

"Can I have a turn?" Elias stood right beside the Doctor who had just put his sonic sunglasses on Clara to take away the symbols from her thoughts. "I want a turn too, Daddy."

"You don't need it, El. You never saw the symbols," the Doctor tried to explain for him.

"But I want to wear the sonic sunglasses _too_ ," Elias pouted and turned to his mother for some help. "How come Ca-yah can wear them? Them too," he pointed to Cass and Bennett.

"Come here," Minerva motioned the boy to her side. "You're tired and you need a nap because you're a bit cranky."

"So what was it?" Clara asked out of curiosity while the sonic sunglasses whirred. "The Doctor's ghost?"

"A hologram," the Doctor replied. "Like the one we made of you to lure the ghosts into the Faraday cage. With a soupçon of artificial intelligence, and a few pre-recorded phrases thrown in."

"And you knew?" Liv threw a suspicious look at Minerva.

"Not immediately but...I know his looks by now," Minerva smiled.

The Doctor took back his glasses from Clara. "It was all beamed from the sonic glasses. As soon as you brought me and the chamber on board, it connected with the base's wi-fi and Bob's your uncle, you've got a ghost Doctor."

"But why did they only come out at night?" asked Clara.

"Because they're electromagnetic projections that were out of phase with the base's day mode."

"So no ghosts?" Elias pouted again.

"Yes, you need a nap, pronto," Minerva took Elias' hand and started leaving the bridge. "Nice knowing you all," she gave the remaining humans a small wave and left, "but this one is about to get ten times worse if he doesn't meet a pillow soon."

Clara shook her head but smiled nonetheless.

~ 0 ~

After a pretty amusing confession, the Doctor, Clara and Liv finally returned to the TARDIS to leave the base.

"What will UNIT do with the ghosts in the Faraday cage?" Clara wondered.

"Oh, drag the cage into space, away from the Earth's magnetic field. With nothing to sustain them, the ghosts will eventually fade away."

Clara nodded her head. "Now here's something I don't understand. You said you couldn't change the future...yet you stopped the Fisher King from returning."

"The Fisher King had been dead for a hundred and fifty years before we even got here. But once I went back, I became part of events. But here's the thing-" the Doctor raised a finger, "-the messages my ghost gave, they weren't for you, they were for me. That list. Everyone after Minerva was random, so…"

"That's what made you go after the damn alien, huh?" Liv smirked. "And saying the chamber will open?"

"That was me telling me to get inside and when to set it for."

"Smart," Liv gave her praise. "You avoided becoming something like me, only, you know, worse than me."

"Not quite. I programmed my ghost to say them because that's what my ghost had said. And the only reason I created my ghost hologram in the first place was because I saw it here. I was reverse engineering the narrative."

"Oh, so what do you know, you're actually smart," Liv said and she and Clara shared a laugh.

The Doctor rolled his eyes at them. "You do not understand. When did I first have those ideas, hm?"

Both women stopped to think.

"Well it must have been…" Clara began but stopped all of a sudden when she realized.

"Wow," went both she and Liv.

"Exactly. Who composed Beethoven's Fifth?"

"No, thank you," Clara pointed at him and started for the corridors. "I am going to bed, and...and...nope!" On her way, she bumped into Minerva, apologized and hurried away while still refusing the Doctor's allurement.

"What's wrong with her?" Minerva pointed a thumb over her shoulder.

"Your husband," Liv said and disappeared.

"I say we should not break our companion or...who will babysit for us when we need some time alone?" Minerva walked up to the Doctor, setting her arms over his shoulders.

"Speaking of babysit…"

Minerva smiled. "Mini-Martian's out like a light."

"Really? And Clara's going to sleep too…"

"Oh, really?"

"Gives me an idea…" the Doctor leaned closer to Minerva, but she teasingly leaned away.

"What sort of ideas, dear?"

"Fun ideas…" the Doctor wrapped an arm around Minerva's waist while his other hand reached the back of her head to stop her from leaning away. " _Really_ fun ideas…"

"I've got an idea too," Minerva pressed her forehead to the Doctor's, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Let me hear it," the Doctor assumed and smirked as well.

"You…" Minerva purposely brushed her lips against his as she spoke, "...take...a _shower_." She pulled back with a laughter as the Doctor processed her request. "Because let me tell you that being locked in a stasis chamber does you no favors Mister! Go shower!" the Doctor sighed, clearly disappointed the conversation had turned to these parts. Minerva cupped his face and pressed a small kiss to his lips. "I can help you if you'd like."

And the Doctor's smirk was back!

Minerva laughed and pulled him for the corridor.


	5. Rules Broken

Clara firmly believed that this was probably going to be blamed on her. Here she was, floating untethered in deep space with no way to get back in the TARDIS (at least from her part) and she could already hear how this could've gone a thousand ways better.

"Doctor! Minerva!" she cried out. "Doctor!"

In the TARDIS, nothing was going well. Minerva and the Doctor were fighting around the console, against the alien creatures invading their home. Elias was clinging to one of the metal rails, laughing as the TARDIS jolted from one side to the other.

"Clara - we _can_ hear you in case you've forgotten how earpods work!" Minerva promptly snapped when her patience dimmed to zero.

"She is in _space_ , Minerva!" Liv popped in beside the blonde, frantic as much as Clara was. Minerva presumed the terrible fear in Liv's face was almost all of Clara's.

"And we are under attack from four and a bit battle fleets!" the Doctor shouted from across, although he was holding the TARDIS phone in his hand. "In case you think we're slacking!"

"Doctor, I think there's something in my space suit!" Clara's shaky voice cut into the argument. She felt something crawling up her backside and had to resist the urge to rip off her spacesuit.

"Yes, that's possible, actually. You were too long in the spider mines," the Doctor reminded calmly. "It's possibly a Love Sprite. Sucks your brain - AH!" he and Minerva were forced away from the console when it spewed out dangerous sparks.

"Will we go boom now!?" Elias was staring wide-eyed at the console but his arms were still clinging to the rails.

"No! Shush!" the Doctor pointed a finger at him. This was not the moment to panic!

"And hold on, young man!" Minerva motioned to Elias that he needed to hug the rail tighter. But honestly, she had a brief thought that the boy might let go just for the heck of it. If he did, then he was proving to definitely be the Doctor's son.

"It sucks your brain out through your mouth, hence the name," the Doctor finished explaining to Clara who was still trying to get their attention about the deadly alien on her back. "But don't worry, it's just hungry."

Liv appeared behind him to smack the back of his head. "That's not something you say!" she then helplessly turned to Minerva. "Minerva!"

"GIVE ME A MOMENT!" the blonde in question, exasperatedly, returned back to the console.

The Doctor groaned and went to tend to Clara. "Okay, describe the four most interesting stars you can see."

Clara tried focusing on what was before her, despite it all looking like bloody space to her. "There's a blue one, quite big. Two little yellowish ones just below."

"Color of whisky, smaller one blinking?"

"Yes!" Clara gasped. "It's on the back of my neck, I can feel it."

"Great!" the Doctor happily said. "I thought asphyxiation would kill you first. Can you see a nebula? Can you see a nebula in a sort of wing-shape? Bit green at the end?"

"Yes! Yes, I can!"

"Minerva?"

" _Don't_ shout my name too, Martian!" Minerva pointed a threatening finger at the Doctor, eyes filling with fury.

"No, no, wouldn't dream of it," the Doctor made a face behind her back and moved himself to the dematerialization controls. "Elias, please hang on."

"OKay, Daddy!" Elias happily did as told just before the TARDIS materialized in the spot Clara was drifting in.

Clara was screaming the Doctor's name and barely recognized Minerva pulling off her space helmet.

"Ca-yah, stop scr - spider!" Elias let go of the rails as soon as he saw an alien-like spider landing on the floor beside Clara. It was a bit bigger than a typical Earth spider...and _cool_! "I'll do it! I'll do it!" he laughed joyfully and went after the spider himself, hopping and stomping on the floor.

"Elias!" Minerva shrieked but her son bounced around until he crushed the spider between his two feet.

"Look, Daddy, I did it!" Elias stepped back and gestured to the crushed creature. "And I wasn't scared."

"No you were not!" the Doctor exclaimed, exchanging high-fives with Elias. When he turned around he came face to face with his wife who could not be angrier. "Have I mentioned...you look _lovely_ today?" Minerva tilted her head silently, as if contemplating what her words were going to be. "B-beautiful too...you've outdone yourself today, in fact," the Doctor rocked on his feet. Funny, this type of look felt worse than the usual look their enemies game him.

Clara awkwardly coughed as she stepped closer to the pair. "How are the Velosians? Did we save them?"

"Oh they took care of that while you were drifting in space," Liv said casually, fairly amused at the moment with the aliens. "They lured their attackers halfway across the universe and drained their weapons banks."

"Oh, that's good then, huh?" Clara waited for an answer from either Minerva and the Doctor but it never came.

"Ca-yah?" Elias had sat down on the floor and was in the middle of taking his shoes off.

"We can go wipe that gross spider alien off yours shoes _outside_ …" Clara went to help Elias get up and took him by the hand for the doors.

"While Mommy and Daddy kill each other," Liv smirked before popping out.

"We're not...we're not actually...upset...right…?" the Doctor motioned between him and Minerva.

"I'm this close-" she put her index finger over her thumb, "-to beating you with a bat."

"So we're good then!" the Doctor beamed and encased her in a hug.

"Doctor, when our son is nearing deadly alien spiders we don't encourage him," Minerva playfully pushed him back.

"Did you see his stomping? My boy's got strength!"

"And your brains, which is not a good thing!"

"Of course not, he's got my physical attributes and your lovely mind," the Doctor neared her with a winning smile. "Perfect combination." Minerva playfully rolled her eyes while the Doctor wrapped his arms around her. "Imagine what our next child will be like? No-" he gasped, pointing at her, "-imagine what our _grandchildren_ will be like?"

Minerva could not help but laugh at that. He sure switched subjects fast. "You're already thinking about grandchildren while our only four-year old son is busy crushing alien spiders?"

"Grandchildren, possibly more sons... _definitely_ -" he shot her a serious look, "-that daughter. I am _so_ waiting for that daughter." Minerva laughed again and decided she should get out of there before he started talking about great grandchildren. "Where are you going? I was being serious," the Doctor made a face and followed after her. "I want that daughter!" he pointed after her, not that she saw.

"Aha," Minerva was close to laughing for the third time. "Let's go check on our son and that human girl who's practically our daughter. She already acts like Elias too."

"I heard that," Clara said as soon as they had stepped out into a dark forest. "And I do not act like Elias."

"He acts like you too, it's complementary," Minerva motioned to the boy who was picking up branches off the ground. "Like a true sibling relationship."

Clara knew that was the best she was going to get from either of them so she just let it go. "Okay, well, Liv was saying about the Velosians but...I was wondering what's going to stop them re-arming and trying again?"

"Nothing," the Doctor shrugged, totally carefree of it. "But the Velosians will be ready for them this time." Clara gave them both a serious face, apparently not quite impressed. "It's the best we could do, Clara. We're not actually the police, that's just what it says on the box."

"And it says 'push'!" Elias rushed up to the TARDIS, pointing at the words. "See, I can read things too."

Clara sighed and put her hands on her hips. "Okay, you're always talking about what you can and can't do but you never tell me the rules. _Is_ there an actual rule book?"

"We're time travelers, it should be a given that we have to tread softly," Minerva argued lightly. "It's okay to make ripples, but not tidal waves. And no, there isn't an actual rule book."

"You _are_ a tidal wave," went both Clara and Liv.

"Don't say that!" the Doctor frowned, offended.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Elias gasped. Someone had picked the boy up and was threatening him with a sword. Liv immediately made herself invisible to anyone but their little group.

"Oh _no_!" the Doctor stormed forwards but was stopped when he heard the gasp of his wife, and Clara. He was forced to remain in the middle, where on one side Elias was being held, and on the other side was Minerva and Clara.

"Vikings," Minerva spat. "Well don't just stand there, Martian! Get Elias!"

The Doctor made a motion that was his intention but of course the sword threatening their son's neck was a big halter.

Men with torches surrounded them, but up came a ginger man with the biggest helmet horns over his head. "You're coming with us," the man, Nollarr, declared.

"Going? You're funny," Minerva tilted her head. "I'm about this close to icing all of you."

The Doctor pulled out his sonic sunglasses. "We're not going anywhere. On my face, right now, more advanced technology than your species will manage over the next nine million years."

"That's not going to end well if he keeps pausing for dramatic effect," Liv raised an eyebrow, just waiting for the downfall of this plan.

Nollarr snatched the sunglasses from the Doctor, startling the man, and broke them in two.

"Not the sonic sunglasses!" Elias started fighting against the man holding him. "Get him, Mommy!"

"N-n-n-n-n-no, don't do that!" the Doctor knew well that Minerva was not going to doubt in using her powers. "Ripples!" he said as a reminder. They couldn't be sure what tribe this was and how important they were to the timelines.

"Fine, but my son travels besides us," Minerva snapped. "Or else history can kindly-"

"-you might just want to give me the boy now," the Doctor said to Nolarr, dead serious because he would not guarantee safety from Minerva if the exchange didn't happen first.

~ 0 ~

A small village with low buildings and big, thatched roofs seemed to be the destination the group had been forced to travel to. As they neared the village, a large metal horn sounded alarms.

"Mommy, I'm tired," Elias complained yet again while being forced to walk among the viking group, chained by the hands like his parents and Clara. "Daddy, where's the plan?"

"Same thing I would like to know," Clara huffed beside Minerva.

"I offered plans…" Liv popped in walking backwards alongside the chief who decided to wear the Doctor's broken piece of sonic sunglasses over his eye like an eye patch. "My strongest one being Minerva going full-blown Elsa."

Minerva rolled her eyes. "Doctor said _no_."

"Ripples, Minerva," the Doctor said quietly. "Besides, I have a plan, you know."

"Daddy, you said that two days ago," Elias looked up at him with a pout on his face. "My feet hurt."

"You haven't been walking that much…"

"Don't tell our son not to feel tired when we're prisoners of vikings," Minerva snapped.

"Well, don't…" the Doctor trailed off when he caught sight of a petite brunette girl holding his piece of sonic sunglasses. There was something inside of him telling him to go the other way. It reminded him, actually, of Captain Jack.

That couldn't be good.

"You all right? Do you know her?" Clara followed his gaze to the girl but the vikings behind them pushed them along.

"Never seen her before in my life."

"So why the staring?" asked Liv.

"I don't know. Nothing, probably. Too much time travel, it happens."

Minerva was now giving him a suspicious look. "You know I don't like that one bit."

"I know."

"What happens?" Clara inquired.

"People talk about premonition as if it's something strange. It's not. It's just remembering in the wrong direction," the Doctor played it cool despite still feeling that queasy feeling.

"Daddy, the plan?" Elias whined in an attempt to get his attention.

"Oh don't worry, El, Daddy's got a plan!"

"Which is?" Clara dreaded to ask.

"We meet the boss man and we do the usual."

"Which is?"

"Replace him."

"How?"

"I believe that is a job for _me_ ," Minerva smirked. Her chains were beginning to show some signs of ice bits creeping over it.

"So we're going fully Elsa on them now?" Clara's eyes lowered to Minerva's chains then looked out to see how many people they would have to, theoretically, fight against. The answer was not a good one. "As powerful as you are, I don't think you can manage a whole flock of vikings with swords. Just a reminder, only you, the Doctor and Elias can regenerate."

"Why start a war when I can situate myself as their Goddess," Minerva's smirk just widened. "I've never played the role of a Goddess before."

" _Well_ …" the Doctor gave a sway of his head, prompting Minerva to elbow him on the side.

"Shut up," she said immediately with a red face.

The vikings stopped in front of an elder who was waiting for them. Nollarr moved forwards to begin his sermon. "We have traveled far and fought…"

Minerva's chains did a little snap as the ice finally crushed them in two. She cleared her throat loudly and raised a hand in the air, effectively shooting a ray of blue which turned out to spew snow. "Do I have everyone's attention now?"

All the Vikings drew out their swords towards them.

"What kind of-" the Elder began but Minerva grabbed the Doctor's and Clara's chains to break them with her ice.

"You do not speak unless you are _told_ to do so," she said in a highly authoritative tone that Elias recognized as her 'work voice'. He knew that meant it was time to behave for _real_. "I have chosen to walk among your land as a human just so that we could have a nice talk."

"Drive it home, darling," the Doctor said beside her before any of the Vikings actually followed through with their swords.

"I am your Goddess - Minerva," there was a look on her face that told Clara and Liv that Minerva had been dying to use that line somewhere. "Would you like to starve to death?" The silence pleased her. It meant she had their attention, but more importantly it meant they would be surviving for a bit longer. "No? Then: Put. The. swords. _Down_."

Unfortunately, her story was interrupted by a loud thunderclap in the sky, followed by a mighty horn. Everyone turned to see a great big face etched into the sky. The man wore a winged helmet and an eye piece.

"Oh, my people. I am Odin," the face roared with a loud voice. "And now your day of reward has finally dawned. Your mightiest warriors will feast with me tonight in the halls of Valhalla."

Beans shot down from the sky and brought alien soldiers under huge metal armor and with portable guns. The Doctor pulled Minerva and Elias behind him. Clara had the good sense to move back as well.

"Stay still. Stay very, very still," the Doctor ordered his group.

Liv appeared only to them but was carefully watching the Vikings meeting with the aliens. "I'm going to go on a guessing round and say that-" she pointed up to the sky, "-is not really Odin."

"Is this an invasion?" Clara asked. Wow, their luck was just going downhill today. At least it didn't involve alien spiders crawling up her back.

"No, this is a harvest," Minerva responded with a tight jaw. "It's a survival of the weakest. Ironic."

Clara shot both aliens a specific look. "A survival of the weakest?"

"They pick and choose the strongest, the fittest and leave the weak and young behind," the Doctor simplified.

Clara, horrified, turned to see a group of fighters teleported out of there. "We have to help them."

Elias peered around Clara's legs and saw the brunette girl from before, Ashildr, still holding the Doctor's bit of sonic sunglasses. "With that!" he pointed. That always solved problems. "I can use it with mine too!" Because, oh yes, he still carried the miniature sonic his Daddy had given him for his birthday.

Though he had no idea it was just a flashlight.

Clara beamed at the idea. "Oh I love the way you think, El!" she darted towards Ashildr.

"Clara, no!" the Doctor hissed but the woman was gone. Unfortunately, the creator of the idea wanted to 'help' as well.

"Elias!" Minerva nearly had a heart attack when Elias ran after Clara.

"Have you still got the eye-patch thing?" Clara was ready with Ashildr and was definitely not expecting Elias to follow. With widened, alarmed eyes she tried to get the boy to return before he got hurt. "El, no! Go back to your parents!"

"That's my Daddy's!" Elias pointed to the sonic sunglasses in Ashildr's hands, completely ignoring Clara's orders.

Clara groaned, and focused on Ashildr before they were caught. "Point it at my chains and think the word open. Say it with your mind."

Ashildr put on the bit of sunglasses and tried following Clara's instructions. Around them, more and more people were disappearing.

"Doctor! Elias!" Minerva frantically moved forwards but the Doctor grabbed her from behind, lifting her a bit.

"I will do it!" he set her behind him and made a move towards Clara and Elias.

"They've been caught!" Liv shrieked when the aliens turned their weapons on the two. Registering the highly advanced technology, the aliens zapped Ashildr, Clara and Elias out of there.

"NOOO!" went both the Doctor and Minerva.

Only Clara's and Elias' chains were left behind as witness that they were once there.

~0~

Elias rubbed his eyes when fluorescent lights turned on in the metal room he and Clara were now in. He scrunched his face at the funny smell in the room. Maybe more of these people needed to take baths.

"Welcome to Valhalla, my ladies," one of the young Vikings, who'd also been teleported, greeted the only two women and the young boy.

"Ca-yah…" Elias slowly inched closer to Clara's side. Her spacesuit seemed big enough to hide behind her.

"It's okay, it's okay," Clara patted the boy's head and saw Nollarr was forcing open a door across them with his axe. After the door opened, it was revealed there was a short passage way with fan-like devices set on the walls. At the end was another door.

"No, wait! Wait!" Clara exclaimed when Nollarr made way for the second door.

Nollarr turned sideways, wielding his axe. "There's nothing to fear, strange maiden."

"The fans are turning…" Elias was peeking around Clara's legs. Those fans did not seem like the fans his grandma Isadora had at home.

The 'fans' dispatched energy beams that trapped Nollarr and made him vanish, leaving behind only his helmet and axe. Behind the group, the walls began to churn as if there was some machinery working. It then began to move towards each other and, if it succeeded, would squish everyone in its way.

"Use your blades, try to jam it!" Clara instructed the Vikings before grabbing Ashildr and Elias. "You two, c'mon!"

They reached the second door and tried forcing it open between the three, but it didn't seem to be doing any good.

"Oh, Elias," Clara took a moment to catch her breath, "If there was ever a perfect time to show your powers for the first time it would be _now_!"

Elias pouted and looked at his two hands. He would love to have the powers his Mommy has! "Mommy and grandpa says I have to be big!"

"It was a joke," Clara managed to smile a bit, though a part of her wished Elias would once again excel and show signs of power development earlier like he'd done with many other things already.

The fans started working again and the three at the door turned to see the Vikings inside the passageway, like Nollarr had been just minutes ago.

"Elias...close your eyes…" Clara brought the boy behind him, scared out of her mind.

~0~

Liv was motionless and staring upwards at the sky. Her eyes squinted from the sun but she would not look away until Clara and Elias were returned.

"We should be heading back to the TARDIS," Minerva had her hands balled into fists. They were wasting time and God knew what was happening to her baby boy and Clara. They needed to _go_ -

"It would take two days, Minerva," the Doctor reminded softly but she whirled in his direction.

"We can't just not do anything!" she shouted.

Soon as she did she regretted it because he was also hurting. They had no way of getting to Elias anytime soon and their telepathic connection with Elias had long ceased due to his age. She was just a desperate mother. But the Doctor was also a desperate father.

Minerva threw her arms around him and the two hugged tightly. The Doctor kissed her hair and truly raided his mind for a plausible plan to get to Elias. For the moment, they had to rely on Clara being clever and keeping herself and Elias alive.

~0~

"Ca-yah, wake up," Elias was sitting on his knees, shaking an unconscious Clara beside him. He looked around the new room with a frown, a bit afraid of the glowing green liquid inside some of the whirring machines. "C'mon, Ca-yah!" he groaned and pushed Clara harder. "Ca-yah!"

Clara stirred awake and immediately sat up. She quickly checked to make sure Elias was alright then got Ashildr to wake up.

"They all went away," Elias pointed at the helmets and weapons on the floor that once belonged to the male Vikings.

Clara was not about to correct him and tell him they were probably all dead. Instead, she just nodded her head.

"Why are we still alive?" Ashildr questioned.

"Because of this," Odin's presence startled both women, even more so when he raised the Doctor's but of sonic sunglasses.

Clara grabbed Elias' hand as the boy was about to point. Elias, however, pulled his hand from hers anyways and angrily pointed at Odin. "That's my Daddy's! Give it back!"

Clara quickly grabbed Elias and kept him back, almost covering his mouth before he got them into deeper trouble. "See that?" she told Odin. "I know you didn't mean to make him mad because you're scared but-"

Odin scoffed. "I have no reason to fear you."

"You should be!" Elias exclaimed. Inside, Clara was amused.

"Except you've already analysed that-" Clara nodded to the sonic "-and you know it's a technology from a civilization vastly more powerful than your own."

"My Daddy's home! They should scare you!" Elias added, his thin little eyebrows knitting together to create a deep glare.

"Yes, Elias, hush," Clara cleared her throat. "You will have also noticed that I'm wearing a spacesuit," she gestured to her overly bright orange suit. "And since he's already made it clear that bit belongs to his father, you can assume we're not from around here. You should also realize we have not come alone. You see, you haven't killed us because killing us would start a fight you didn't come here to have, and you're not sure you can win."

Elias, huffing because the man still hadn't given up the sonic bit, crossed his arms. An armored alien stepped forwards and handed Odin a vial with the same glowing green liquid from the machines.

"Ooo, hello. Time for your medication?" Clara asked, eyeing said vial oddly.

"Adrenaline. Testosterone extracted from the finest warriors," Odin gave a mock salute and drank the vial. "Ah! Nectar!"

Elias made a face, obviously confused, and tilted his head up at Clara. "What is that?"

Clara's eyebrows raised. "Something you won't worry about for hundreds of years…" though then she remembered Elias' speedy development, "...I think." She cleared her throat and addressed Odin. "Why play God?"

"What is a god but the cattle's name for farmer?" Odin countered with amusement. "What is heaven but the gilded door of the abattoir?"

"You're not a farmer," Clara snapped. "You're a thief, caught in the act."

"I don't understand," Ashildr shook her head. "What did he drink?"

"Hush," Clara ordered and kept talking to Odin. "Go, now. Go and find Vikings on other planets. The universe is full of testosterone. Trust me, it's unbearable. We won't follow you, see? We don't need to fight."

"But Ca-yah, he can't take my Daddy's sonic sunglasses," Elias frowned.

"War is our way," Odin said in a purposely louder voice to assume authority.

"Ask yourself, is this a war you really want?" Clara hoped to God her talking skills would be enough to get them out of there alive.

Unfortunately, Ashildr wasn't quite thinking the same.

"Yes!" she pushed Clara aside, and in the process Elias. "You'll pay for what you have done here today. I am a Viking! Ashildr, daughter of Einarr. You have mocked our gods. Killed our warriors. And we will crush you on the field of battle!"

Clara was horrified. Her words had basically been undone.

"That's better!" Odin roared with laughter.

"We were about to leave!" Clara argued with Ashildr.

"You almost had me talking," Odin gestured to Clara. "Talk is for cowards."

"No, no, no, listen to me!" Clara tried her best to mend what Ashildr did. Even Elias attempted to help.

"Talking is always good! My Mommy and Daddy say so!"

Of course his and Clara's words were thrown to the side. Odin was staring directly at Ashildr. "I accept your challenge!"

Ashildr remained fueled on anger and despair. "We will crush you!"

"Shall we say this time tomorrow? Ten of my warriors versus the best of your village."

"You will beg for mercy!"

Odin laughed. "I will send you back. You can inform your people of their impending destruction."

"Why are you doing this?" Clara interjected.

"Why else? The joy of war! Can't you see it on my face?"

"War is bad," Elias pointed. Once more, his words were ignored.

~0~

Clara, Elias and Ashildr were promptly teleported back to the village.

"Mommy!" Elias immediately jumped to his feet. "Daddy!"

Hearing his voice, Minerva and the Doctor whirled around. Their hearts nearly leapt from their chests.

"Clara!" Liv shouted upon seeing the brunette.

Ashildr's father had also came forwards. "My child!"

Elias came running towards his parents, as did they, and they met halfway in a hug. Liv and Ashildr's father did the same.

"No! Wait!" Clara tried to pry Liv's arms off her.

"Are you okay!?" Minerva cupped Elias' face despite the boy's huffs. "Did they hurt you!?"

"I'm okay," Elias looked between both his parents. "Ca-yah took care of me. But the other Vikings went away."

The Doctor exchanged a look with Minerva, both knowing that the 'went away' part was certainly something else. "Did they now?" the Doctor put Elias back on his feet.

"Mhm. I don't know where they went, but I think Ca-yah knows…" Elas leaned closer to his parents and then whispered, "But she doesn't want to tell me."

"Good," Minerva sighed and planted a big kiss on Elias' ginger hair.

"Clara?" the Doctor glanced at the brunette still hugging Liv. "You're okay, right?"

"Yes, but-"

"I looked them up in my two thousand year diary-" the Doctor pulled out the scrappy book from his inside pocket, not even seeing that Clara was trying to tell him something important. "They are called the Mire-"

"Listen-"

"-they are one of the deadliest warrior races in the entire galaxy-"

"-okay-"

"-but they're practical. They get what they want and go. You persuaded them to go, didn't you? We knew that you would-"

"Stop!" suddenly called Liv. She threw a look at Clara, knowing full well that that had been Clara's inside thoughts. Sometimes, despite all the control they had over each other's thoughts...things still got out through the wrong person.

Clara awkwardly cleared her throat, getting ready to reveal what really happened on the ship. "The deadliest warrior race in the galaxy?"

"Well, one of the," Minerva distractedly corrected. She was fixing Elias' hair while still discreetly checking for any injuries.

"Oh, that's just great," Clara slapped a hand to her forehead.

"Ow," Liv frowned and raised a hand to her own forehead where she felt a ghost of the pain from the slap. "I felt that."

"Sorry," Clara took in a deep breath and just came out with it. "Yes, the village just declared war on them."

~ 0 ~

In the meeting room, Clara stood at the front of the Viking villagers explaining how on Earth they had gotten into war with the Mire. She moved back and forth explaining, a thing much easier to do now that she had left her spacesuit behind. The thing was actually kind of heavy for her petite form.

"And they're coming here tomorrow, ten of them-" she faced the villagers again, "-to kill everybody in the village."

Ashildr's father, Einarr, looked at his daughter questionably. "Ashildr, is this true?"

Ashildr nodded meekly. "It's my fault." She was now truly looking back at her actions and felt terrible. Clara had talked the man down from hurting anyone else and there she went...making things oh-so horrible.

"Not every misfortune that befalls this village is down to you," Einarr reassured then looked at the Doctor. "She thinks she brings us bad luck."

"What bad luck? You haven't had any bad luck," the Doctor said dismissively. "You're fine."

A stocky man stepped forwards to rebut that statement. "We are about to be attacked by-"

"-oh for goodness sake just leave then," Minerva was the one to cut him off. "Nothing is tethering you to this spot. Believe me, the Mire will have better things to do than look for _Vikings_ in the woods."

Her words might as well have been blasphemy. "We cannot leave this village!" Einarr exclaimed, everyone behind him nodding in agreement.

"Yes, you can. Just pick a direction," Minerva waved them towards the door. "Honestly, does war just have to be some instinct in all of you? Take a breather."

"We will fight!" went another man.

The Doctor rubbed his face, clearly feeling the same frustration as his wife. "Really? Well, I don't know if you remember, but they actually took away all your fighters. So, what are you? Farmers, fishermen web designers?"

"Daddy, there's no internet," Elias pointed out. He sat on a stack of hay, swinging his legs back and forth.

"Yes, you're right," the Doctor pointed. "So definitely not that last one," he finished with the others.

Einarr tossed over a skin holding various weapons, intending on proving the Doctor wrong. "We are Vikings!"

"That's just a _name_ ," Minerva spoke over all of them without making an effort. "Without your fighters I'd like to see how many of you here have actually _wielded_ a sword in battle? Raise your hands now - up, up!" she motioned.

Elias quickly stuck his hand up in the air.

"Your games with Elizabeth don't count, Elias. Mommy's not talking about imaginary games," Minerva called, making the boy slowly lower his hand.

All in all, only Minerva, the Doctor and (surprisingly) Clara had raised their hands.

The Doctor spoke to the Vikings in a direly serious tone. "The Mire are coming for each and every one of you. So what you going to do? Raise crops at them?"

"If necessary," went one man who had not caught up on sarcasm.

"We're not cowards," Einarr stepped forwards.

"No one said you were," Minerva clarified softly. "Sometimes it's not about proving who's braver, it's about doing what's right for your people."

"We do not run," the man continued to argue like she hadn't said anything. "A death in battle is a death with honor."

"Aye!" the rest of his people agreed unanimously. However, from a distance, they all heard the sound of a baby crying.

The Doctor stiffened as he got wisp of words. "Do babies die with honor?" the question made everyone in the room pause.

Elias hopped off his seat and ran towards his parents. "She's scared," he was also picking up on the baby's cries. It appeared that he had inherited the Doctor's (and thus Time Lords') ability to understand nearly all languages, an ability Moontsays had not been able to develop. While Elias was still mighty young to understand completely, he was able to do a bit at the moment.

The Doctor took Elias' hand bent down to be on his level. "Turn your face towards me, Mother, for you're, you're beautiful…" he began to translate the cries.

"She wants to sing to her Mommy…" Elias' eyebrow raised questionably. "She is scared, but…" his face scrunched up, clearly at a loss.

"I am afraid, but I will sing," the Doctor finished for them, giving a small smile afterwards. "Proud of you, El."

Elias beamed and looked at his mother for her reaction. While the Doctor straightened up to address the Vikings - who had briefly gotten "they speak baby" from Clara and Liv as an explanation - Elias went to Minerva. She kissed his head and agreed that she was proud.

"Babies think that laughter is singing. Did you know that?" the Doctor didn't bother waiting for a response from anyone. "I applaud your courage, but I deplore your stupidity. And I will mourn your deaths, which will be terrifying, painful, and without honor." He turned back to Minerva and held his hand out for her.

"Stay," Ashildr called to them. "You could help us. I know you could."

"We have offered a solution but it seems you do not want to adhere to it," Minerva shook her head.

With Elias between her and the Doctor, the three aliens walked out of the meeting house.

~0~

When Clara caught up with the three aliens, she was sure the Doctor had to be in the middle of his rambling that would inevitably lead him to save the village. It's how he worked. She was sure that was it. He just needed to talk and things would get back on track.

"The earth is safe, humanity is not in danger," the Doctor paced back and forth. Minerva was sitting on a rock, occasionally glancing over to Elias. He was making circles on the dirt ground with a stick. "It's just one village."

"Just one village?" Clara played along, or so she thought.

"Suppose I saved it by some miracle. No Tardis, no sonic. Just one village defeats the Mire," the Doctor paused, Clara nodded showing she was understanding. "What then?" He rubbed his forehead and started pacing again.

Minerva bobbed her head, looking incredibly bored although she was actually waiting for him to quit being so dramatic and just do what he wanted to do since the beginning. "Word gets around. Earth becomes a target of strategic value, and the Mire come back. And God knows what else. Ripples into tidal waves until everybody dies."

"So you're not doing it because you don't want to…" Liv moved around the two aliens, "...you're doing because of the _rules_?"

"Did you expect anything else?" Minerva responded with her own question.

"I have seen you both tear the rules down when necessary," Liv pointed fingers at them. " _This-_ -"

"-is a delicate time period," the Doctor finished for her.

Clara couldn't believe her ears. She wished that - just for once - they would finally lay out these so given rules. Perhaps there _was_ a book somewhere in the TARDIS library that would explain it all?

Elias stopped drawing with his stick when the same baby's wails filled the air. He scrunched his face trying to understand by this time he just couldn't. Dropping his stick, he moved for his father. "Daddy, what's the baby saying now?"

The Doctor hesitated to answer, but seeing the three women's stares on him made him so. "She's afraid. You know that babies can sense danger, remember?"

Elias nodded his head, vaguely recalling that little lesson. "But what's she saying?"

With a sigh, the Doctor bent down to Elias' level and translated for him. "Mother, I hear thunder. Mother, I hear shouting. You are my world, but I hear other worlds now…"

It was a sight to see Elias so focused on the words that were beyond his intelligence. Because no matter how ahead he was in his development, Elias was still just a four year old in the end.

"...beyond the unfolding of your smile, is there other kindness? I'm afraid. Will they be kind? The sky is crying now. Fire in the water-" the Doctor stopped questionably, repeating, "Fire in the water?" to see how that made sense in the baby's words.

A smile spread across both Liv's and Clara's faces because the baby's cries had suddenly stopped.

"Rules-schmules," Liv mumbled and met fists with Clara.

The Doctor straightened up, his glances flickering between Elias and Minerva. He knew it was a dangerous mission to stay behind and alter a time period, but…

"So when do we start the training?" Minerva raised an eyebrow. She could practically feel the Doctor's indecision up until he finished talking with Elias. She should have known he wouldn't be able to resist helping people in need, no matter what the repercussions.

~ 0 ~

Later, the Doctor had gathered all the suitable men of the village (and the only ones left) to begin their training...or at least hopefully. But, an hour later, it came as no surprise to the group of travelers that the assembled men were no good with swords.

"Mommy, why can't I help put the fire away?" Elias stood in-between his parents, all three staring at the disaster striking the village which involved a decent-sized fire.

"You? With fire? Don't make me laugh, Elias," Minerva gave a sarcastic shake of her head.

"This really could have gone better," the Doctor released a tired sigh.

Minerva then subjected him with a narrowed-eyed look. "Did you really?"

The Doctor turned to face her, already presuming to know what she was going to say. "You think I did wrong…?"

"Personally, I think you're just wasting time," she quipped, hand over her chest. "Had it been my idea, I would have frozen all those aliens 3 days ago."

"Like Elsa!" Elias cheered at the thought.

"You know we can't do that," the Doctor reminded sharply.

"I know the reasons but honestly, looking at all this, I think we should have. At least now maybe with my powers we can stop them for real."

"Minerva, we can't do that-"

"Yes, I know, because of the ripples," Minerva rolled her eyes. She was beginning to understand Clara's irritation with them. Ripples this, ripples that, but never any clear clarification on what it meant exactly. "But do you know what? This afternoon I met a woman with a baby - that crying baby - and they were both so _scared_. I imagined myself there, with Elias when he was a baby, and all those times we were in danger. You and I fought like hell to make sure nothing happened to him. I can't let that happen to another mother and child if I can help."

The Doctor rubbed his face wearily. "I understand, I do, but there are rules that...you just don't understand."

Minerva laughed shortly, and bitterly. "What? Because I'm not you? I'm not one of your people?" the Doctor tilted his head, his face bearing unamusement. "You should count that as a blessing or else there'd be two of you."

"You know that's not what I meant…"

"But it's true. I understand to some extent of all your crazy rules, but this one-" she pointed to the village, "-is one that I'm going to have to fight against. Clara was right. We can't let them die. I won't. And I don't think you will either." With a smile, she walked off.

"Daddy, I'm confused, is Mommy mad or not?" Elias looked up at the Doctor. "She was smiling but she was using her mad voice. Is she mad?"

"No, Mummy is trying to make a point," the Doctor sighed.

~0~

Later that night, the Vikings held a feast in order to prepare for their battle the next morning. Elias, wanting to help, forced Clara to come out and help him pick up some flowers to 'make the table prettier'. Even though Clara knew Vikings could care less whether or not their table was pretty, she still agreed. As Elias was handing Clara another sunflower, they heard Minerva's sharpened voice call out to them.

"About to scold," Liv appeared just to say.

Minerva emerged from the dark forest with her hands on her hips. "And just what do you think you're doing young man?" her eyes flickered to Clara next. "Not-so-young woman?"

"Hey!" Clara frowned. 29 wasn't old...right?

Elias didn't seem to buy his mother's scolding voice and rushed over with the sunflower still in his hand. "Look, Mommy, I'm going to make the table prettier. Do you think the Vikings will like it?"

Minerva smiled at the boy. "Of course. But you shouldn't be out here at night."

"It's okay, Ca-yah came too," Elias said like that was the solution to the danger problem. It never occurred to him she was just a human with no actual powers.

"It's dangerous for _both_ of you," Minerva corrected her previous statement. "Honestly, sometimes I feel like I'm raising two children instead of one."

Clara raised her hands, as did Liv. "It's not my fault you haven't gone for that girl yet," Clara defended herself. Minerva rolled her eyes.

"What were you doing out there anyways?" Liv thought to ask, only now registering that Minerva had come from the forest all on her own.

"Uh...tactic searching…" Minerva gave a weary glance at the forest, indicating it had not gone so well. "I thought maybe we could do something with the ground, but...no."

At the sound of crackling thunder, Elias dropped his sunflower and ran behind his mother's legs to hide. Clara and Liv looked up at the dark sky with questionable looks.

"Weird sounding thunder…" Clara remarked.

"Scary," Elias inputted from his 'hiding spot'.

"It's not thunder," Minerva mused, also staring up at the sky. "I believe it's the weapon forges of the Mire. And they're making sure we hear them."

Clara now seriously looked at Minerva. "Okay, tell me the Doctor finally told you his real plan. Because enough is enough, honestly."

"Mommy's mad with Daddy," Elias informed Clara.

"I am not mad," Minerva corrected him.

"That would explain his extra grumpy mood," Liv remarked.

"I'm not mad!"

"But you used your mad voice…" Elias reminded.

"Because I was upset-"

"So then you _were_ mad," Clara tried figuring it out as they went.

"No!"

"Well then why did you use your mad voice?" asked Liv.

"Because I was disagreeing with his tactics!" Minerva stopped herself before she ended up shouting. "I just...we had a disagreement over the rules. It happens sometimes."

"You saw how annoying it can get?" Clara was struggling to hide the smirk she so wanted to give.

"I understand them," Minerva argued. "I just happened to disagree with it this time. He didn't. Somewhere along there I said it was because we weren't of the same species."

"Cultural differences?" Liv raised an eyebrow. "Took you long enough to have one of those."

"What?" Minerva blinked.

"You're a Moontsay, and while you technically evolved from the same people, he's a Time Lord. Sooner or later there was bound to be a difference of opinions."

"In this case, the _rules_ ," Clara finally, openly smirked.

Minerva sighed but no longer contradicted them. "Yes, fine."

"So what are your peoples' rules against time?" Clara curiously asked.

"There aren't any," Minerva shrugged, causing both Clara and Liv to stare blankly. "There's no rules because we don't view time the same as Time Lords did. The only reason I view it as something different is because I've known the Doctor my entire life."

"Daddy influenced you," Elias giggled, slowly coming out of his fear some now that the thunder was dying out.

"For a lack of a better word," Minerva sighed. "There's a reason why Time Lords looked down on my people. They held themselves up to a higher standard. Moontsays didn't care about time travelling nor timelines or time itself. _They_ did. Sometimes, I'm bound to be like Moontsays."

"They're your people, of course you are," Liv shrugged. "And if you believe in something different then you shouldn't be afraid."

"I'm not. And the Doctor had never been one to deny my opinion either. We just sort of spring it on each other, that's all."

"So what happens now?" Clara waited expectantly, hoping that because Minerva was, technically, of a different society that she would see the Doctor's plan wasn't going to do anyone any good.

It appeared Minerva was thinking something along the same lines. "Well, it's time to pull out my Moontsay vibes." With a smirk, she handed Elias to Clara and turned to leave.

"No, I want to go too!" Elias pulled Clara with him after his mother.

"I'm curious to see how that works out," Liv admitted and walked after them as well.

On their way, however, Minerva became a bit distracted when she heard callings from Ashidlr. At first she thought the girl was in some sort of trouble so she turned for Ashildr's home instead. It turned out Ashildr was merely fighting with a model of Odin plonked on a wooden stave.

"I want to play too!" Elias' squeal startled Ashildr into dropping the sword in her hand. The girl turned around to the audience while Elias ran straight for the model she'd created.

Minerva was smiling quite proudly as if the girl was her own child displaying some precious abilities. "See, this is my thing with your human societies. You all prop up your men while your real fighters are hiding behind the curtains."

"How long have you been there?" Ashildr thought to pick up the sword Elias was already intending on grabbing from the ground.

"Not the point," Minerva waved the girl off and walked up to the model. She tilted her head at it, examining its details. "You make puppets? My husband loves puppets."

"They're scary," Elias admitted and went back to Clara to hide behind her.

Clara chuckled. "That's because you watch R.L Stine's weird puppet episode even when we told you not to."

"That was a ventriloquist first of all," Liv said beside her. "And _you_ left it on the channel," she threw Clara an accusing look.

"Do you make puppets all the time?" Minerva asked Ashildr, eyeing several of the tools used to make the puppets still lying around.

Ashildr couldn't tell if Minerva was looking down on her creations of if she was actually interested in the puppet. It looked like Minerva always wore an indescribable face and it irked Ashildr. "I...make puppets sometimes...when I'm…"

"Frightened," Minerva finished with a light hum. "Yes, I know the bit."

"When the raiding parties go out, I make up stories about their battles…" Ashildr found herself admitting.

"Because if you make up the right story, then you think it will keep them safe and they'll all come home," Minerva concluded on her own and smiled at the girl. "That's okay. You're not the first person to ever have done that. When I was young, and my husband - who was not my husband at the time - used to go on all these dangerous trips while I was stuck in my home...I used to imagine the best stories hoping that they would come true and that he would be safe enough to come back to me."

Ashildr's thick eyebrows furrowed together at the woman. This was far too much confidence between them to be real. "Why are you here?"

"Because my husband didn't let me use my powers to get us out," Minerva said like it should have been obvious.

"That's not what she meant," Clara whispered.

"Well, it's what I meant," Minerva shrugged and started to leave.

Ashildr couldn't let Minerva go like that until she had proper answers concerning tomorrow's fate. "Are you going to help us?" Minerva stopped and turned sideways. "Because...because at the rate, we will all be cut down like corn. By this time tomorrow, every single one of us will be dead."

""You could go somewhere…?"

"There's nowhere for me except here," Ashildr responded with a determinant aura. Minerva smiled. "This is my place. The sky, the hills, the sea, the people. Is there nowhere like that for you?"

"My home," Minerva agreed. "My birth home...this...world…" she made a gesture to the place.

"Then why are you not helping us?"

"Because I'm following what my husband thinks is best," Minerva sighed and turned back, sighing. She rubbed her arms along her thighs and began to think. "And, now that I'm thinking better, I don't quite agree with. He's not cruel...he just has this annoying habit of going by the rules of a rule book."

"Burn it," Clara coughed in-between her words then flashed a nice smile at Minerva.

The blonde rolled her eyes and dramatically waved her hands. "Alright, fine. Let me come up with a better plan."

"Mommy…" Elias had leaned away from Clara, his little eyes gazing at the open door. "The baby is crying again. She's scared."

Minerva followed her son's attention and did conclude that the cries of the baby were a bit closer than it had been all day. "Who's child is that?"

"Must be Lofty's," Ashildr replied, shrugging. "He's probably taking her to the boathouse because she won't settle."

"And what's in the boathouse besides water?" Clara curiously wondered.

"The fish."

"She says the the water has fire in it," Elias scrunched his face as he strained to make out the words the baby was saying.

"Yeah, I think you'll have to keep training, El," Liv chuckled but Minerva was beginning to decipher the meaning behind those words.

"Somebody find my husband…" Minerva started to leave again.

"Why?" Ashildr came rushing first behind her.

"Because I think I have a good plan," Minerva strode out wearing a smirk.

~ 0 ~

Electric eels had never come in so handy than the next day. The entire village worked all night to create the perfect trap for their enemies. So when Odin and his ten warriors teleported down to the village and found nothing but a grand party in the village's meeting house, they were heavily confused.

The Doctor was among the villagers and when he spotted the new visitors he pulled Minerva up to him as a dance. "This better work," he warned but she smirked in response.

"Are you doubting me?"

"No, ma'am," the Doctor was not about to have another disagreement with her.

He would rather face the Mire.

"Hey, hello, hi!" he left Minerva to go greet the Mire. "I'm the Doctor. It's lovely to meet you face to...er convincing hologram. You could always go zzz and get rid of it, no? No, on second thoughts, don't. That, that, that suits you."

"It is time to fight," Odin declared but no one moved.

"Fighting is bad," Elias spoke up. Clara was holding onto his hand lest he go and run off to face them. "Parties are fun!"

"Let me put it another way. You fight or you die," Odin reiterated in a dark tone.

This time it was Minerva who responded and she was not happy. "Talk like that to my son, or in front of him, again and I'm going to freeze every part of your body even if I have to climb the sky to get to your ship."

The Doctor put an arm in front of her to prevent her from getting closer to Odin. "We're unarmed. There isn't a single weapon in this room. Which I'm sure your systems are telling you. You wouldn't open fire on unarmed civilians, would you?"

"It wouldn't be the first time."

Suddenly, a horseshoe clanged against one of Odin's warrior's armor. The entire of the Mire raised their gazes to find a mesh of wires strapped to cartwheels of candle holders on the roof space.

"Chuckles, now!" the Doctor ordered.

As planned, the electric eels in the village, masked by their water supply, spurged their electricity from the boathouse to the Mire.

"Everyone run!" Minerva shouted while the Mire were in distress. She specifically turned to Clara and motioned her to get Elias out of there.

"That's four down, six left," the Doctor counted the remaining Mire.

"Go!" Odin ordered his warriors.

"Einarr, switch!" Minerva turned to Ashildr's father.

The man hit another of the barrels in the room and this time energized another set of wires. Like a magnet, it pulled the Mire's weapons up to the roof. Even their helmets were yanked off their heads.

"Now turn it off!" Minerva shouted again. The magnet was switched off and let everything crash on the ground. The Doctor grabbed a helmet while Minerva a sword. "I would run," Minerva smirked.

The remaining Mire did go after the villagers but the two aliens hurried to move the last bit of their plan into action.

"Ashildr! Are you ready?" Minerva called to the girl sitting in a wooden chair while the Doctor worked fast on the helmet he'd grabbed from the Mire.

"I'm scared," Ashildr admitted.

"You were born for this. Show them a story they'll never forget," the Doctor carefully put the Mire's helmet on her. Ashildr did as told and thought of the best story she could.

The doors of the meeting house crashed in and let out a strong gust of wind that caught all the Mire's attention. From their view, they were seeing a classic long-necked Wyrm coming at them.

"What is this beast? It's impossible!" But Odin backtracked every single second he had on.

"Withdraw. Withdraw!" cried his warriors.

"Stand and fight!" Odin tried keeping everyone in check but their weapons turned out to be ineffective against the 'Wyrm'.

One by one, the warriors retreated and teleported back to their ship until only Odin was left. The eyepiece on Odin began to falter and reveal the true form of the creature, which turned out to be one of Ashildr's puppets of a Dragon, the same one Minerva had discovered the previous night. Somewhere else, the horn that was used to create the terrible howls of the creature was finally stopped.

Minerva and the Doctor walked out of the meeting hall, Minerva's hands billowing in icy smoke. The rest of the villagers surrounded Odin with their swords aimed properly at him.

"Ready to see the last trick of the night?" Minerva raised her hands, unable to stop smirking.

"What trickery is this?" demanded Odin.

"Ha! Says the man with a fake face," the Doctor scoffed. "But you see, that's the trouble with viewing reality through technology. It's all too easy to feed in a new reality." The Doctor took out Clara's cell phone and waved it around. "A story to save a town, and a puppet from a nightmare. You see, you've just seen the world through the eyes of a storyteller. The mighty armies of the Mire. Brutal, sadistic, undefeated. Even I believed the stories. But after today, no one will again. An army like yours, it lives or dies on its reputation, its story. And today, you were sent packing by a handful of farmers and fisherman. Not to mention the whole wetting your pants and running away from a puppet debacle."

"Oh, imagine if someone recorded that," Minerva pouted sarcastically. "Oh wait-" she gasped, "-I think we did."

The Doctor held the phone for Odin to see the spectacle they did indeed record. "Now, you see, we could just keep this as a funny little film and play it every year at the Christmas party, or I could upload it to the galactic hub and get a second opinion. So the question you need to ask yourself is this. Just how important is your reputation to you? Here's a little sneak preview, piped straight into your helmets, free of charge."

"If you don't leave right now, we'll put it out there for all to see and no one will fear you again," Minerva shrugged.

"This humiliation will not go unpunished. We will meet again," Odin swore.

"Yeah, yeah, feel free to drop by the Monsoon. I'm sure my military chief would love to show you their new tactics," Minerva evilly smiled.

The Doctor teleported him away before that could go on. "Oh, I hacked your teleporter. Sorry."

"I wasn't finished," Minerva sarcastically said, and threw him a look.

When the Mire finally left the skies, the village felt it right to celebrate. They returned to the meeting hall where Ashildr was, still sitting on her chair with the big Mire helmet over her head.

"You did it, Ashildr. You did it. You saved us all!" her father rushed to her first but the girl made no movement. "Ashildr?"

When she didn't move again, everyone went dead quiet. Minerva pushed her way through the crowd along with the Doctor. "Get the helmet off," she ordered them.

Ashildr was unconscious - at least they hoped she was - and was laid on the ground for further examination.

"Ashildr?" her father continued calling for her but she never responded.

Minerva checked for the pulse that was most certainly not there. "No pulse…" she ran her hands through her hair.

"Minerva…" the Doctor grabbed her and pulled her back.

Minerva felt like all the blaming, accusatory glanced were settling on her. Air became short. She got out of there as fast as she could. When the Doctor caught up with her, she was pacing back and forth.

"I helped use that girl up like a battery!" she exclaimed. "I didn't - I didn't think that would happen. I was so...I was so busy making sure we weren't concerning with the rules."

"Minerva…"

"I know I should be focusing on the fact that the village safe but I can't," Minerva stopped and faced him. "I don't hold myself to the Godly status of the Time Lords and I can't see people as collateral damage to save a bigger population."

"I am not like that," the Doctor momentarily frowned at the insinuation.

"You were raised to be like that, but you couldn't," Minerva smiled lightly. "And I am so happy for that. But I think sometimes you forget...and sometimes I think _I_ forget. Sometimes we just _have_ to break the rules. I can't let that girl just _die_. It's not fair. We keep losing people like that..."

The Doctor acknowledged her words but for the moment couldn't respond. Minerva raised her head, standing tall, and waited for him to give her an answer of where he stood. He had found a reflection of himself in a barrel of water and thought back to the first moment he had seen his new face.

"Who frowned me this face? Why this one? Why did I choose this face?" he repeated his questions. Minerva furrowed her eyebrows, unsure of what he was going on about now. "I think I know why I chose it." The Doctor turned around and faced his wife. "It's like I'm trying to tell myself something."

"Well, if you could tell me that would be great," Minerva said slowly.

"There was someone, a long time ago...who made me realize that...I _can_ save someone…"

"What are you…?" Minerva wasn't sure what was running through his head at the moment. It was all a blur of memories with a bright orange scenery. It took her a long moment to recognize their long ago companion, Donna Noble.

* * *

 _'Just someone. Not the whole town. Just save someone.'_ Donna begged so long ago when they had to leave Pompeii during its eruption.

" _Come with me_ ," the 10th Doctor reached out to old Caecilus, intending on saving the man and his entire family.

* * *

"I know where I got this face, and I know what it's for. To remind me. To hold me to the mark. I'm the Doctor, and I save people," the Doctor held a hand out for Minerva. "With my gorgeous wife of course."

"Sweet talking will not get you anywhere right now," Minerva laid her hand in his and yelped when he pulled her right up to him.

"Let's hope saving people does," the Doctor gave her a short kiss on the lips.

In the meeting hall, everyone was witness to the two aliens working with the helmet left behind by the Mire. Clara, Elias and Liv were on the front lines in the audience but no one was allowed to help.

"What are they doing?" Einarr whispered to Clara.

"Saving her, I think," Clara honestly said.

"Don't lie, Ca-yah, they _are_ ," Elias cut in, very sure of his parents.

Soon enough, the Doctor and Minerva appeared with a small SIM-like chip card.

"What is that?" Liv eyed the devices.

"It's from the Mire helmet. Battlefield medical kit," the Doctor explained. "I've reprogrammed it for human beings." He and Minerva walked to Ashildr's body. He carefully placed the device over her forehead and everyone watched in wonder as the device was literally absorbed into her.

"It's gone!" Elias gasped and ran forwards. "Can I have one?"

"Absolutely not," Minerva pulled the young boy back.

"Technically, he wouldn't need one because of his regener-" the Doctor received a hard whack on the stomach. He coughed and then said, "No, you can't have one."

"What's it doing to her?" Einarr asked seriously.

"It's repairing her," Minerva dissuaded his worries. "It will never stop repairing her, if it works." She leaned forwards to Ashildr. "Come on, Ashildr. Come on. The story's not over yet."

"Daughter, listen to me. This town has lost so much. If we lose you too there'll be nothing left," Einarr stroked Ashildr's hair, hoping she would open her eyes any second now.

Ashildr briefly opened her eyes but fell again.

"She'll be conscious in a day, up and about in three," the Doctor promised. "No swimming for a week. Now, we're going to need a longboat and some of your best rowers. We're two days' sail from the Tardis."

"Wait, no. She'll want to see you when she wakes," Einrarr tried stopping them.

"Believe me, she will see us often enough when she understands," Minerva said, thoughtfully as she glanced at Ashildr.

"Understands what?"

"Second dose," Minerva placed the second card in Einarr's hand.

"Will she need to take this?"

"No, no, no, it's not for her."

"Then who's it for?"

"Whoever she wants," Minerva smiled softly.

~0~

While the travelers finally headed back to the TARDIS, Clara noticed how quiet the Doctor was. Even Minerva was a little stern-looking.

"Okay, it's official. Silence is even worse in a Scottish accent," Clara nudged the Doctor. "Are you going to tell me what you're brooding about?"

"The rules," Minerva drawled on. "It's inevitable for him. He's worried about the ripples."

"What?" Liv appeared beside Minerva while they walked.

"It won't stop, the repair kit we put inside Ashildr, not ever," the Doctor finally spoke up. "It'll just keep fixing her."

"Well, good," Clara shrugged, not quite seeing the problem.

"Forever?" Elias, who walked between his parents holding hands, looked up.

It was then that Clara began to understand what the aliens had been trying to say. "Do you mean...do you mean she might not die?"

"Possibly," Minerva replied. "She may now be functionally immortal."

"If the repair kit never stops working, then why did you give her two?"

"Immortality isn't living forever. That's not what it feels like. Immortality is everybody else dying," the Doctor coldly said. He knew exactly what he was talking about, then. "She might meet someone she can't bear to lose. That happens, I believe." He spared Minerva a glance and kissed her cheek. Two regenerations ago had him loving a human version of Minerva and the mere thought of losing her to death...

He didn't even want to remember that feeling. Ever.

"Living forever?" Liv paused at the doorway of the TARDIS, an indescribable expression on her face. She may or may not know a thing or two about that one. Or, at least, she knew before she was tethered to Clara. "Would that mean she's not technically human anymore?"

"Like a hybrid," Minerva hummed, once again thoughtful. Liv swore she a flash of concern in Minerva's eyes for a second, but the blonde alien turned away fast.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note** : _Honestly this episode was kind of weird to me given 12's radical changes between helping and not helping. I did what I could by tailoring it to the story. Sometimes I just end up laughing because the writing is so off for this show at times xD


End file.
